


Iron & Thorn

by stellarwaves



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort/Angst, F/F, F/M, Familiars, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Human/Vampire Relationship, Hunted Vampires, M/M, Star Wars References, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Vampire Hunters, Vampire Turning, Vampires, Warlocks, Werewolves Turn Into Actual Wolves, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:53:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 39,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25189777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarwaves/pseuds/stellarwaves
Summary: Ahhhh hope you guys like this!! If you're interested in the lore/rules for this universe, just let me know! I'm working on the lore as I go :)You can also find me on:Tik Tok @stellarxwavesTumblr @stellarxwaves (nothing there yet lol)Wattpad @stellarwavesThanks for reading! <3
Relationships: Kylo Ren & OC, Kylo Ren & Original Character(s), Kylo Ren & Original Female Character(s), Kylo Ren/OC, Kylo Ren/Original Character(s), Kylo Ren/Original Female Character(s), Poe Dameron & Finn, Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	1. An Undoing

I stood at the mouth of the alley. A single light hung from one of the buildings' brick exteriors, blinking on and off. Light. Dark. Light. Dark.

Light. A young man's legs twitching behind a dumpster.

Dark. A horrific cry.

Light. His legs were completely still.

Dark. The sound of the creature slurping and gurgling as it drank his blood.

Light. It let go of him, his body hitting the concrete with a stomach-twisting _thud._ It stood to its full height and wiped its shirt sleeve across its mouth. It tilted its head back, grinning and basking in the blinking light above its head.

I lifted my revolver slowly and aimed for the creature's temple.

It sensed me then, likely smelling the adrenaline flowing through my veins. It turned to face me and wrenched its beautiful face into a snarl. The light blinked out again. I shot.

The light blinked on, and the creature was standing right in front of me, its hand inches from my throat. But, snuggled into the base of its neck was the silver bullet I fired only a second before. It staggered back, blood starting to pour out of the wound.

I holstered my revolver and reached behind my head to pull an iron stake out of the quiver I kept slung on my back. I gripped the stake in my hand and moved toward the creature.

He held up his hand. "Wait," he rasped.

"For what?" I didn't stop walking toward him. This alley would end eventually, and I'd have him pinned against a brick wall with nowhere to go.

"You can go. I won't come after you—"

"You think I haven't heard that one before?"

"That stake will only trap me. It won't kill me." He inhaled a single, shuddering breath.

"Seriously?" I twirled the iron stake between my gloved fingers. "I know better than that."

He backed away from me again and tripped over his victim's legs, falling back. Once he was down, he didn't have the strength to stand again. He lay on the ground rasping for air and clutching his blood-soaked chest.

I walked toward him, stopping for a moment to stare at the boy he had killed. The body was pale and crumpled behind the dumpster, the neck bent at an awful angle. I looked away. The most upsetting part of my profession was that it rarely involved saving these victims. Most of the time, I was too late or too slow, or couldn't risk exposing myself to the creature too early or I would be dead as well.

I stepped over the vampire and planted my feet on either side of his torso. I kicked his arms out of my way, exposing his chest. He was too weak from the silver to retaliate.

"Please," he whispered.

I looked down at him. His long, blonde hair was slicked with sweat and his blue eyes seemed to burn through my flesh. They were the only part of him still lively and fighting.

"How long have you been alive? Longer than him." I lifted the stake and poised it above his heart. "This is going to burn a little bit. Rosewater."

His lips curled into a snarl as he growled at me, eyes flashing with panic and rage.

I lifted the stake over my head and sunk down in one, clean movement, driving the stake through him until I heard it _clink_ on the concrete underneath him. His skin hissed and bubbled as the rosewater burned him from the inside out. He roared in pain, and I twisted the stake sharply, listening to his heart explode.

His eyes locked on mine, and he coughed, spewing blood between his lips. A few moments later, his eyes rolled back into his head, and the snarl on his face relaxed completely. His head slumped to the side, the blood on his face already drying into a crust.

_Thud._

I spun around, jerking my revolver out of its holster.

Another creature prowled toward me, her eyes black and fangs bared.

"You bitch," she hissed, bending her knees a little and spreading her fingers. Her shoulders rolled like a cat's, and I knew her nails would be slicing my neck any second.

The light overhead still blinked maddeningly. I couldn't waste a moment. I aimed the gun between her eyes and pulled back on the hammer. I fired.

Her nails dug into the sides of my neck. I was still holding my gun up, but it pointed uselessly over her left shoulder now. She was too fast.

I tried to speak, but she was crushing my windpipe. I saw black forming at the corners of my vision and felt a fuzzy, warm feeling spreading over my head. She grinned, sliding her tongue over her fangs.

I heard the rattling rhythm of multiple rounds being fired, but I couldn't see anything now. My vision was going dark as I slipped from consciousness. I felt her body beat against mine, jerking with movement as the bullets lodged into her skin. A surprised gasp slipped through her lips, and she released her hold on me. I fell backwards, my eyes closing...

"Valencia? Valencia. Can you hear me?"

When I opened my eyes, I saw the smooth planes of Finn's face, his deep brown eyes alight with worry. His expression softened.

"There you are." He placed a warm hand on the side of my face.

I noticed the light above me. Dark. Light. Dark. Light. We were still in the alley. I tried to turn my head to see what was happening, but my neck was stiff. I reached up to touch it, but Finn caught my wrist.

"She got you pretty good, but don't worry. I used your rose salve and bandaged you up. Should heal in no time."

Poe's face appeared over Finn's shoulder. He was still holding his machine gun and grinning widely.

"Hey, Val. How are ya?"

"Hey, Poe." I grabbed onto Finn's shoulder. "Can you help me up?"

Finn wrapped one of his arms around my waist and slowly lifted me until I was sitting up. Through the blinking light, I saw the two vampires' bodies in the alley, the stakes still lodged in their chests.

"Do you think you can stand?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." I gripped the fabric of his jacket and with his help, got to my feet. I hung onto him a few moments longer until I felt steady. I walked forward to look at the bodies.

Both of their eyes were closed, both of their mouths crusted with dark blood. I looked toward the dumpster, where the dead woman lay.

I paced forward, stepping over the vampires. "That weapon is a waste of resources. And not at all discreet."

Poe frowned at me. "No one around here is gonna come looking—"

I kicked the female vampire. "Obviously, I'm not talking about humans noticing a commotion."

Poe rolled his eyes. "Come on. You had a bad night. You accidentally killed her boyfriend, and she showed up. How often is it that we see two of them together out here?"

I glared at him. I moved from Oregon to New York six months ago because I heard word the city had a huge infestation. Unfortunately, things worked differently in New York, and I couldn't exactly operate independently. They had a whole faction of sorts — "The Resistance" — dedicated to killing the various creatures that roamed the streets, and I'd been paired up with these two. Finn was peaceful enough and extremely compliant. Poe, on the other hand...

"That's my point exactly. Their numbers are growing. I saw this exact thing happen back home. They're changing the way they view territories. Covens are growing." I pointed at his gun. "That kind of attack may work out here, but it's not efficient in the city. Where there are people and monsters around every corner."

He shrugged. "That's why I brought it out here tonight. You think I'm stupid enough to fire a machine gun in the middle of Times Square?"

I lifted my eyebrows and crossed my arms. "Not to mention, no amount of silver bullets is going to stop an older, stronger vampire. They won't even flinch."

"Okay, but when have we ever come across a vampire that old and powerful?" Poe shrugged. "I've never had a problem."

"You wouldn't be alive if you came across a vampire like that." I shook my head. "For such a large faction, your methods are—"

"Not to mention," he mimicked me, "we have your rosewater on our side."

"That's not—"

"Anywaaaaay," he interrupted me. "You're welcome." He gestured to his gun. "This thing saved your life tonight."

"Waste of resources, at the very least." I looked at Finn. "You shouldn't have to craft that many silver bullets to fulfill his Rambo fantasies."

Finn shrugged and pressed his lips into a firm line. I was right.

"He doesn't care!" Poe yelled at me. He looked at Finn. "You don't care, right? Right, buddy?"

"I mean..." Finn hesitated. "It's a lot easier to make bullets for Valencia than—"

"Oh, come on!" Poe yelled.

I shook my head and walked away from them. "I'm outta here. Clean my stakes."

I was almost out of the alley when Finn called my name. I turned around, expecting to be annoyed, but that wasn't what this was. Finn and Poe were both squatting down, staring at the vampires' bodies. Poe was shaking his head, and Finn was pointing to their chests. The flashing light was starting to give me a headache, but I sighed and walked back toward them.

"What is it?" I called.

Finn looked up at me, his face full of fear. My eyes flickered to Poe, who was running his hands through his dark hair. His hands were shaking. I squatted down next to Finn, and he pulled at the vampires' shirt collars, revealing identical tattoos on their shoulders.

The tattoo was simple, but I recognized it immediately. Done in black ink, it was an outline of a crescent moon, crossed by a simple line-drawn rose. New York City had a coven problem, and these vampires had the same tattoo we'd been seeing on other members of a very large, very powerful coven in Manhattan. _The_ coven. Highly secretive and likely incredibly old to be so large and feared. To my knowledge, the vampire hunters here didn't even know who sired the coven to begin with.

The small town we were in tonight was hundreds of miles from the city. These vampires shouldn't have these tattoos, and if they did, it meant...

"Holy shit," I said.

"This is not good," Poe said.

"This is a serious problem. We have to get back now. We have to let the others know." Finn took out his phone and snapped pictures of the tattoos.

"Don't send those to Holdo! She'll see the burns—"

Finn held up his hand, stopping me. I watched his eyes flicker over my shoulder. Poe froze, staring past us. I turned on my heels, slowly, lifting my arm to reach for a stake. There was only one reason they would have those looks on their faces, and it wasn't because there was a human standing behind me.

The light blinked out, and it stayed out.

The figure stood at the opening of the alley, cloaked in shadow without the light blinking on and off to reveal some of its face. I assumed it was a male simply because of its height, but one could never be sure with younger vampires. If it was a young one.

Which, judging by its relaxed posture, it couldn't have been. Young vampires tended to be highly aggressive and would have been provoked by the mere scent of the two dead vampires laying at our feet. This vampire didn't move. It just stood there in the shadows, watching us, the light breeze from the street billowing its long coat.

My fingers curled around a stake, but I didn't bring it over my head just yet. I heard Poe stand behind me, heard the movement of his gun as he prepared for a fight. I glanced at Finn once, and then I turned my head completely and stared at him.

He was shaking. Almost _vibrating_ with emotion. He squinted his eyes and then, to my disbelief, he started walking toward the thing.

"Finn," Poe whispered. "Finn, don't."

"I...I must," Finn said, his voice thick and cracking like he was going to cry.

I turned my head slightly, toward Poe. "Is there something I should know?"

"Not now," Poe hissed.

Finn staggered forward, and Poe crept behind him, shoving past me. I fell into step behind Poe, hand still poised to grip my stake if needed.

Finn was a few feet away from the creature when it vanished. He fell forward sharply, onto his knees, his entire body shuddering. Poe rushed forward, slinging his gun over his shoulder so he could cradle Finn against his chest.

"Get the truck!" Poe yelled.

I dropped my hand and broke into a run. I came out of the alley, sliding a little as I looked left and right, and up above, for the creature. But there was nothing in either direction. Only the faint, appealing scent it left behind.

I shook my head and jogged toward the truck. I got in and stabbed the keys into the ignition. When I pulled up to the mouth of the alley, Poe came rushing out, dragging Finn with him. He opened the truck door and helped Finn climb into the backseat.

"Lay down, Finn." Poe cradled Finn's face in his hands for a second, and then he closed the door and climbed into the front seat next to me.

"Drive," he ordered.

I stomped on the gas and took a sharp turn at the next corner, headed for the interstate. I looked sideways at Poe, but he shook his head at me.

"Poe," Finn croaked.

Poe twisted in his seat, reaching back to take Finn's hand. "You're okay. You're safe. Go to sleep." Poe lifted Finn's hand to his mouth and kissed it.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Poe looked at me, then. "Straight to the base."

"You got it," I said. The truck roared as I swung onto the interstate ramp toward New York.

Finn snored quietly in the backseat. It had been an hour since we started driving, and I couldn't take Poe's silence any longer. I figured I already knew the answers to my questions, but that I was even facing something like this annoyed me. And the fact that no one bothered to tell me about it in the first place.

"Whose idea was it to keep this from me?" I asked.

"I don't want to talk about this," Poe snapped, staring out the window.

"Too bad. My life has been in considerable danger every day that I've been with you two, and that's been...let's see...every day for the last six months so I think I deserve—"

"It's never been a problem until tonight." He shook his head. "I...I'm just as surprised as you are." 

"Bullshit." I glared at him. "You're telling me you had no idea your boyfriend is a familiar?"

Poe shoved himself away from the window. "He's not. He's not, okay?"

"I know a familiar when I see one. He was headed straight for that thing, and you know it."

"Look, it's his story to tell, not mine." Poe leaned forward, his face sinking into his hands. "It's supposed to be over. Holdo said it was over."

"Why would it be over? You can't just stop being a familiar."

"You can if your sire dies."

I shrugged. "Of course. But his sire didn't look dead, now did he?"

"I..." Poe groaned. "Forget it, Valencia. Please, just forget it."

"I will not forget it. But you can forget about me hunting with the two of you anymore. I might as well have been bathing myself in shark bait every day and standing in the middle of the ocean." I tapped the steering wheel. "You know what, it explains a lot actually. He always attributed his knowledge to the other hunters, but no. It's because he was in their inner circle. That's why Holdo's so fond of him. He's her intel."

"I told you. It's his story to tell."

"Are you going to let me talk to him about it? Or do you protect him from any and all things painful?"

Poe stared at me, his brows pulling down over his eyes. "I'm not going to let you upset him under any circumstances."

"If that was his sire back there, we should be in tiny, bloody pieces in that alley." I shook my head. " _Nothing_ , and I mean _nothing_ , makes sense here. You guys are the weirdest fucking vampire hunters I've ever worked with. You, Holdo, all of you."

"Just drive, Valencia." Poe sat back in his seat and rubbed his face. "I don't have the energy to deal with this."

"Your arrogance is unrelenting. It has to be exhausting, keeping up this image." I gritted my teeth. "I need partners I can trust." I jerked my thumb in Finn's direction. "And that one of you is a familiar, and I didn't know about it is ridiculous."

"You're right, Valencia. You're right." He sighed and twisted in his seat until he faced me, full on. He reached across and put a hand on my shoulder. I rolled his hand off of me. "No," he said, placing his hand back on my shoulder. "Listen to me."

"Okay, fine. What?"

"You wanna know why I never eat past midnight? Or why I never go swimming?"

I slumped in my seat. "Poe, I swear to God—"

He interrupted me with a cackle, his face relaxing into a smile. "Come on, Val. I'm sorry, okay? I don't want to fight with you, and you're right. You're right." He sighed. "I didn't know what to do back there, and I promise, when Finn is better...we'll explain everything. It's not what you think."

I didn't know what he expected me to say.

"You have to admit, the gremlin thing was funny," he said.

"I think you should take a nap too."

"Valencia. I really am sorry."

I didn't look at him. I kept my eyes on the road and pressed the gas harder. Eventually, Poe gave up and leaned his head against the window. As his breaths deepened, I watched Finn's face in the rearview mirror, my eyes trailing down his neck to his collarbone. I wondered what I would find on his shoulder. I glanced at Poe. He was passed out, but I decided it was in everyone's best interest, especially theirs, if I kept driving until we reached Holdo's. The hardest thing to shake about all of it was that I _had_ grown to trust the two of them. Especially Finn. And now, it had all been washed away in moments, as soon as I saw the way Finn looked at that vampire.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the chill creeping down my spine.

Holdo was waiting for us on the steps that lead up into the Resistance base. There were bases like this all around the city, but this Brooklyn location was considered home base for many of the hunters, including Finn and Poe. The hunters who lived here occupied the apartments on the higher floors of the building. Training rooms and offices dominated the lower floors.

Newcomers like me, and those who wished for more privacy, lived in some of the apartment buildings near the bases. I longed for the comfort of my exposed brick haven, only a few blocks away, but I'd be lucky if I could dive into my bed anytime soon.

I stopped the truck in front of the building, and Holdo swept down the stairs. Even in cargo pants and leather boots, still covered in blood from hunting, she looked like a goddess. Her dark purple hair was pulled back into a bun, the fringes around her face wet with sweat. She opened the backseat door and reached across to grab Finn.

"Poe, get inside and secure a med-bay for him." Holdo patted the sides of Finn's face. "Finn, can you hear me? Wake up, Finn."

Poe jumped out of the truck. He looked at Finn, and then he jogged up the steps toward the base. "Hey, somebody get out here! We need help!" He disappeared inside the building.

I slid out of the truck and jogged around to help Holdo with Finn. We each draped one of his arms over our shoulders and started dragging him toward the stairs. His legs jerked a little bit, but he wasn't fully awake yet.

"Val, tell me what happened," Holdo said.

Poe reappeared, wrenching the doors open for us. "Come on!" he called. "I've got a medic waiting for him."

We drug Finn up the steps and through the doors, the bright, white light of the entryway blinding me a little bit. Hunters lined both walls, staring at me, Holdo, and Finn in concern. I noticed a few looks of disdain, and I realized some of them already knew what he was and would have agreed with me in the truck.

"As you were," Holdo said calmly, and everyone filtered away like they had never been standing there to begin with.

At the end of the long entryway hall, Poe was holding an elevator for us. The four of us crammed in, and Poe pressed the button for the medical floor.

"As you already know," I said to Holdo, "Finn is a familiar, and he saw his sire tonight."

Holdo's blue eyes were icy. She turned her head toward Poe. "Are you sure?"

"I couldn't see his face," Poe said, jaw tight. "But the way Finn reacted...I don't know what else it could have been."

The elevator doors opened onto the pristine, steel expanse of the med-floor. A team of medics waited with a gurney. The three of us lifted Finn onto it, and they rushed him away, Poe jogging behind.

I looked up at Holdo. "While we're on the subject, I'd like to apply for a transfer."

Holdo didn't look down at me. Her eyes followed the gurney until they turned a corner into a room. "Come with me."

I followed her back onto the elevator, and she pressed the button that went directly to her quarters. She briefly flashed her I.D. badge in front of an unseen sensor, and I felt the elevator glide upwards underneath us. I groaned internally. She was going to interview me in her private quarters, with no witnesses. That _definitely_ meant I was not getting into my bed anytime soon.

The elevator doors opened, and she glided into her studio's living room. The light brown wood floors and white walls covered in plants drew me in. I'd only been in her apartment once before, but I remembered the crisp, clean smell of it and how peaceful the environment of it was. My eyes flickered to the long, gray couch. I realized how tired I was and longed to sit on it, even if it was just for a few minutes.

But, Holdo led me away from the couch, walking toward the area she used as her study instead. I walked between the bookshelves and sat in one of the two chairs across from her desk, shrugging my quiver of stakes onto the ground. She sat on the edge of her desk, leaning over me and staring at me with those ice blue eyes.

"Tell me what you saw, exactly," she said, glaring at me.

"I saw a figure in a long, dark coat. I couldn't make out any features of its face. It was too dark. Finn was...drawn to the figure though. He was visibly shaking and when it disappeared, he fell forward onto his knees. He collapsed like some sort of tie, something that had been holding him up, had been severed." I shook my head. "I knew those relationships were powerful, but I've never seen a familiar without their sire. I didn't realize how strong that reaction would be."

"I agree with you. It must have been his sire. What else could have elicited such a strong reaction from Finn?" Her eyes softened, melting, but only by a fraction. "I am going to tell you a few things, but you are not off the hook."

"Off the hook? What have I done here?" I stared at her.

She ignored my questions. She adjusted herself, leaning back on her desk and folding her long, slender hands in her lap. "Two years ago, Poe was part of a mission to take down a hive. There was a relatively small coven of thirty vampires living in a building in SoHo. We lost some hunters, but we were able to—"

"Wait, wait. You did what? You sent hunters into a building against thirty vampires? Thirty?"

Holdo leaned forward, her face furious and only inches from mine. "I will not be questioned by anyone, especially not someone who defies me every moment they can."

"If refusing to be a sitting duck is defiance, then—"

"Listen to me now, Valencia—"

I stood up, forcing her to lean back. Even with her sitting down and me standing, wearing boots, she was still taller than me. I tried to ignore that as I spoke. "Amilyn, please, listen to me. The Resistance is never going to win this without some innovation. You can't keep sending your hunters out there with stakes and bullets and hoping for the best. The coven is growing, and one day, there will be too many of them, and they will be too strong for us to do anything."

She placed a hand on my shoulder and, gently, pushed me back into my seat. Her eyes watered, but I couldn't tell if she was infuriated or upset. "Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"

I nodded.

"Poe found Finn in the building, before everything was destroyed. Realizing Finn was human, Poe was able to restrain him and drag him outside to safety. Finn was inconsolable, of course, trying to escape and return to his master. After the vampires were killed, the building was set on fire to destroy their remains." Holdo sighed. "At that moment, Finn's connection seemed to be broken. He woke up, if you will. Like he came out of a trance." She shrugged. "We watched him for weeks, months, and then it had been a year, and he was fine. We had no reason for concern. It seemed his sire had been killed." She rubbed her forehead. "But now, I'm not so certain."

"Maybe it was a vampire his sire had turned. Their scents would be similar to a familiar, then. It could have caused a dormant reaction in Finn to resurface." I tilted my head side to side, pondering my own theory. "Right?"

"Have you ever seen that before?"

"I've seen other vampires recognizing their connection to a single creator. It would make sense if familiars could sense that too."

"Maybe," she said. Her eyes softened again. "You are indispensable, Valencia. You are one of the best hunters I know, and we are very lucky you decided to join us." I started to speak, but she lifted her hand. "However, I cannot continue to look the other way while you break the rules." She gestured to my bag of stakes. "It is forbidden to consort with witches here. I know that's not what you're used to on the West Coast, but we've suffered tremendous losses at their hands."

"Who said anything about—"

"I asked you to stop using rosewater months ago. We do not permit it here."

"I don't—"

"I can smell it, Valencia." She raised an eyebrow. "I've been a hunter for a long time."

I sighed. "I understand. I do." I edged forward in my seat. I would never stop trying to win her over on this. I knew there was a better way than silver bullets and stakes. "But, please, listen to me. I can be your intercessor. The go-between. I can arrange everything, and The Resistance will have the witches and their aid at its disposal. We will all work together."

She closed her eyes. "So many of my hunters lost people in the fallout. Myself included." She opened her eyes, and I felt the ice picking at my heart. "I don't know if I can trust them again, Valencia. We exist separately because it's better this way."

"We could be stronger together. The way this coven is growing, the silver bullets aren't going to be enough to stop the vampires. They won't be new-bloods forever."

"I know," she said. "I'm not sure what the answer is." She tapped her fingers on the desk. "Can you at least tell me who she is? The witch who charms the rosewater and salves for you?"

"I can't. Not until I can be sure she'll be protected." I narrowed my eyes. "You know some of your hunters chase them, don't you? Kill them, even?"

"Yes, I know. And they are punished accordingly." She looked at me. "You understand why I can't simply announce a partnership with the witches. I anticipate they're just as wary of us as we are of them."

I shrugged. "Fair."

"Poe Dameron is a spit-fire, and I know he loves using the rosewater simply because it's an act of rebellion." She shook her head, smiling only slightly. "Just don't parade it. If other hunters find out..." She looked at me knowingly. "I can't promise you will be spared."

"Are you giving me permission?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm telling you that I recognize the advantage it provides. That's all I can and will say."

I grabbed my quiver, slipping it back over my shoulder. We walked back toward the elevator doors. Before I stepped inside the elevator, I turned to look at her. "Finn can't tell you everything, can he?"

Her jaw was tense. She didn't answer me.

"They could fix that too. Extract the information from him."

"Find Poe and send him to me," she said. "I want to speak with him next."

"Amilyn—"

"Be safe, Valencia." She nodded at me.

I backed into the elevator and watched her face until the doors closed.

I found Poe on the med-floor, next to Finn's bed. He slept with his cheek pressed onto the mattress next to Finn's thigh, his arm stretched protectively across Finn's legs. I felt a pang of loneliness looking at them, but I shoved it away. I stared at them a little longer, watching their chests move up and down, admired the peaceful look on both of their faces. I sighed, knowing I could never leave them no matter how mad they made me. Not now.

I approached Poe and gently tousled his hair.

His big brown eyes opened slowly. "Hey, Val."

"Holdo wants to see you."

Poe straightened a little bit, but kept his arm slung across Finn's legs, not ready to leave him. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm not in trouble."

"She saying anything about me?"

"I don't think you're in trouble, either."

He rubbed his eyes. "Did you...did you really apply for a transfer?"

I winced. "You heard that?"

"Yeah, I did."

"I was angry. I didn't ask her for a transfer. Not really."

"I would understand, you know." He frowned. "I'd be sad, but I would understand."

Guilt coiled in my stomach, cold and heavy. I looked around the med-floor to see if anyone else was nearby. I stepped forward, leaning down toward Poe. "Listen, there's—"

Poe's data pad vibrated loudly. He flipped it over and sighed. "Guess I'd better go up there now." He rubbed Finn's knee. "Do you mind staying with him? They've got him on some fluids, nothing major, but just in case he wakes up?"

"You got it."

"Thanks, Val." He leaned down and kissed Finn's forehead before he jogged toward the elevator.

I sat down in the chair next to Finn's bed, and reached out to hold his hand. In his sleep, his hand tightened around mine. I blinked away the wetness pooling in my eyes.

"Hey, roomie."

I turned and saw Rose Tico grinning at me. She was one of the medics, but I never knew when she was on and off her shifts. It changed all the time depending on how well, or unwell, our hunts went.

"Hey, roomie," I echoed.

"He's gonna be okay." She checked a few of the machines monitoring Finn's vitals. "He just needed rest and time to reset."

"That's good to hear. Poe's a nervous wreck."

She smiled. "He's been that way since day one, when he brought Finn in for a few minor burns." She patted Finn's arm. "You headed home?"

"As soon as Holdo releases Poe from her custody."

"She talk to you, too?"

"Yep."

"Any...changes?"

I shook my head.

Rose sighed.

"Did you...did you know about him, Rose?"

Rose looked at me, her expression blank. After a moment, she nodded. "I've never offered to help because...well, you know why."

"There isn't much that could be done without the sire."

"Yes, but if we —" Rose stopped and looked over her shoulder. We heard footsteps, and then three medics passed by Finn's room. Rose looked back at me. "I have to check on a few more patients. See ya 'round."

I waved, and she left. I rubbed my thumb across Finn's, feeling my eyes get heavy with sleep.

It was almost six in the morning when I finally turned the key and unlocked my apartment door. Poe had returned the med-floor after almost an hour, and he was already sleeping again when I'd gathered my things to leave.

I walked in to the entryway of the apartment, and the warm smell of roses wafted around my head. I dropped my quiver on the entryway floor and let the floral scent float around me as I walked toward the living room.

Our apartment was decorated perfectly. The exposed brick had been painted white, and all of the furniture was mixed and matched, and we had more floor cushions that actual chairs. Plants hung from the ceiling, their vines drifting here and there, some of them reaching the floor.

I rounded the corner and saw Paige sitting in front of a large, marbled bowl. Her eyes were closed, and she was leaning over the bowl to inhale the rose-scented steam lifting from its center. She stirred the water gently, whispering the incantations that made it so powerful.

I dropped to my knees and dipped my hands into the water, blending my voice with hers. We finished the incantation together, and the rosewater popped and simmered in response. I opened my eyes and saw Paige grinning at me.

"I didn't know you'd be home!" She leaned over the bowl and hugged me.

"Me either. Minor setback."

She shifted back quickly, her eyes darting across my face. "Are you okay? Are Finn and Poe okay?"

"We are now. Finn's on the med-floor with Rose."

She frowned, her dark eyebrows knitting together. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I'm guessing you also knew he was a familiar?"

Paige slummed back, sitting on her heels. "Yes."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Are you mad?"

"I was. Very." I shrugged my shoulders. "But they're my friends. And I can't...I couldn't justify being so angry when..." I gestured to the bowl. "I mean, come on."

Paige giggled. "That's very true." She held up a finger. "Though, I do argue that our secret keeps people safe. Finn's secret is dangerous. That's why we couldn't tell you. Holdo forbid it."

"Forbid you from telling me specifically?" I frowned.

"No, no. From anyone who wasn't there that night. When Finn was rescued. I was on the mission, with Poe and a few others, so I saw Poe drag him out and realized what he was." She shivered. "The way he clawed at the concrete, trying to get back inside that building..."

"I should have been told."

"I agree." She traced the rim of the bowl with her fingertips. "I break a lot of Holdo's rules, no questions asked, but I'm not going to be the one to spill any of her beans."

I snickered. "I've been trying to convince her since I got here that things need to change. Have you spoken to Calista?"

"Calista is angry. Witches are being murdered every day like _we're_ the monsters. And she's still not pleased that the three of us are with the Resistance instead of her."

"We have to be here. We're the key to uniting everyone."

"She's also getting impatient waiting for us to try and win Holdo over. She thinks we should leave the Resistance completely. So we can be ourselves." She looked up at me. "Her words, not mine."

"But this is who I am. And so are you and Rose. We all grew up in both worlds." I shook my head. "It feels unnatural to choose one or the other."

"It does." Paige dipped her fingers into the bowl, swirling the warm water in circles. "Nothing's going to budge until they do." She sighed. "Rose and I have been trying to work something out since we arrived here, years ago. Relations between the Resistance and the witches were already incredibly strained when we showed up, and now I worry the relationship can never be repaired. Not with Calista and Holdo at the helms."

I leaned over the bowl, letting the steam roll across my cheekbones. "Doesn't anyone read their history books? Does anyone remember what happened the last time hunters and witches split?"

Paige's eyes flickered to the floor and back to the bowl quickly. I straightened.

"Did you see something, Paige?" She didn't answer me. "Paige."

"Visions are not truths," she said. She looked up at me. "I asked Calista to give the message to Holdo, since I can't exactly blow my cover."

"What did you see?"

Paige reached across the bowl and took my hand, pulling me until I was halfway across it. Our noses almost touched. I watched as her eyes rolled back into her head, going completely white. It felt like someone put a block of ice against my spine.

"It's going to happen again," she said. "A wrongdoing, an undoing, a betrayal."

Images flashed before my eyes. A figure in a dark cloak gliding across the streets, killing people in its path. Slaying witches, hunters, and other monsters alike, showing no mercy. Another figure standing next to the first, blood dripping from its fingertips.

I tried to slip my hand out of her grip, but her hand clutched tighter around mine. The steam lifted from the bowl and wrapped around my chest like a corset. I tried to inhale, to give my ribs some room, but the steam wrapped tighter and tighter.

A hand reaching out, lips parting...A woman's scream of anguish piercing deep within my ears...a darkness sweeping over the world until...the world...was...gone...

"He walks the earth again, and we have forgotten the sound of it." Her voice was a whisper.

"Paige," I begged, "come back."

"It will be an undoing it will be an undoing it will be undone—"

I dipped my other hand into the rosewater and swung my arm forward, splashing her face with a little bit of the water. The images disappeared, and I could see her and our living room once more. Her eyes rolled forward, and she blinked a few times before she rolled her eyes at me. "You _asked._ "

"Yeah, well, have you ever seen yourself have a vision? It's not something a person gets used to. Why can't you just _tell_ me what you see?"

She released my hand. "The figure. It's him."

"Scary ass vision, I'll give you that." I shrugged. "But it's a myth, Paige. It's just one of our legends, a loose end no one can really explain."

"Do you really think that?" She frowned at me. "It's always felt so real to me. Why would anyone make up a story like that?"

"Why would anyone make up Big Foot?"

"Val, are you saying—"

"Just like Big Foot, people use that story to explain things they couldn't otherwise explain. I'm sure there's some truth to the legend, but he's dead. The whole family is dead. That's the moral of the story, remember?"

She nodded, rubbing her forehead. I reached out and took her hand.

"You're on high alert," I told her. "Everyone is. And this story is something that always comes back. That's the whole point. A precautionary tale. A selfish family destroyed themselves for the sake of power and fame and ego. Never works out."

"You're right." She stood up and stared into the bowl. "I've always had some version of this vision, even when I was a little girl. But..."

"But...?"

She looked at me. "It was always a girl. The person in the cloak. Feminine features, at the very least. The frame of the shoulders, the hair, the softness of the hands...But this vision was the first time I felt a masculine presence...and heard its voice."

The block of ice was back. "It has a voice?"

"Yes. And it's not a voice I know at all. I don't recognize it. It's unlike anything I've ever heard."

"Well...that's a good thing, right? I mean, what if the voice you were hearing was Poe's? That would not be good for Poe."

She snickered. "Poe couldn't stand being a myth or legend. He's gotta be the real deal."

I laughed. "It is I," I said, in my best Poe impression, "the undead prince, son of Leia Organa, the vampire hunting princess." I planted my hands on my hips and whipped my hair out of my eyes. "Wanna see my machine gun, baby?"

Paige doubled over with laughter, clutching the edges of the bowl for support. The front door opened, and Rose stopped in the entryway, staring at us. "Oh, geez. What did I miss?"

I joined in Paige's laughter, both of us trying to tell Rose in broken giggles what was so funny. She smiled at us. "At least the rosewater is done. Or do you guys need my help?"

"No," Paige gasped. "It's done, it's done." She straightened, rubbing her sore stomach. "I showed her my vision."

"Oh, yikes," Rose said, looking at me. "Have fun trying to sleep with all of that in your head now."

"How do you think I feel?" Paige asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Do you agree with me, though?" I asked Rose. "It's a legend."

"It kind of reminds me of _Jaws_. Everyone keeps stringing up these sharks and swearing this shark is _the_ shark. But it never is. It's always just _another_ big shark."

"I follow you," I said. "But, at the end of that movie, Jaws does end up being a very real, very scary shark."

Paige nodded. "Holdo has a cousin who thinks he killed him. He framed a lock of the hair."

I stared at her. "What does a lock of hair prove?"

"It's braided."

"That's it?"

"Didn't you know," Rose said, smiling, "that only the Organas know how to braid hair?"

"You realize this just solidifies my Big Foot theory." I shrugged at Paige.

Rose pointed her finger at me. "That's actually really good. That checks out."

I bowed a little. "Thank you."

"They discharged Finn right before I left," Rose said.

"That's great," I said. "Hopefully we get a day or two off out of this."

"She...She said he's off of missions indefinitely."

"Indefinitely?" I reached for my data pad.

"Don't," Rose said. "Poe was pretty pissed."

I tucked my data pad back into my pocket. "Yeah, I'll deal with that after I've eaten and slept a little bit."

"Should I order pizza?" Paige offered.

"Oh, my God, _please_." I folded my hands together like a prayer.

WHAM WHAM WHAM!

I sat up in my bed, my hair slicked to my forehead in sweat. I reached for my data pad and looked at the time. It was seven at night. I'd been asleep for almost twelve hours.

WHAM WHAM WHAM!

"God," I groaned, crawling out of bed. I pulled on a pair of shorts and slipped out of my room into the hallway. Across the living room, Rose opened her door and peaked out.

"What the hell is that?" she groaned.

"I have a good guess," I said.

She shook her head. "He couldn't have called?"

I glanced across the hallway at Paige's door. "Is she still here?"

"No, she had a meeting with Calista. Something happened."

"Shit."

WHAM. WHAM. WHAM.

I stormed toward the front door and yanked it open. "They invented data pads for a reason, Dameron!"

Poe's fist froze mid-WHAM. He narrowed his eyes. "I tried that, but someone was too comatose to answer."

I glanced down at the screen and noticed the missed calls. "Okay, fair."

"Can I come in?" he asked.

I stepped aside, and he brushed past me and walked into the living room. "Is Finn okay?"

"He's fine. Holdo got called out on a mission, but Kaydel is with him." Poe paced around the living room, looking for a couch he wasn't going to find. I pointed to the cushions. He frowned. "My knees."

"There are chairs in the kitchen."

I followed him as he stalked toward the kitchen and plopped down into a chair. He sniffed the air. "Your witch visit today? It smells...herby in here."

"What's going on, Poe?"

He leaned forward in the chair. "We gotta go, Val. Holdo told me to stay put, but I know something is going on. They need us."

"Are you serious? No way. She just got through with us, we are not—"

"You weren't at the base tonight. You didn't see what I saw." He stood up.

I held up my hands. "Wanna fill me in?"

"A dead witch turned up on the front steps. Throat slit. Bite marks all over her neck and arms."

It felt like a gush of cold water landed in my stomach. I backed up until I was resting against the kitchen counter. "Why would they do that? They know we don't fight together."

"We're not sure who left her there. She also had a stake through her heart."

Rose entered the kitchen. "Paige," she said.

"She wasn't there, don't worry. I don't think she got called out on this one." Poe looked back at me, oblivious.

I looked at Rose and nodded. She disappeared into her room.

"Screw Holdo's orders. Let's go," I said. "I just need to get dressed." I turned and walked back to my room, Poe right on my heels.

"What do you think, Val? I can't make sense of it. It could be hunters who heard about what you're trying to do, it could be hunters just because. It could be vampires because of the bite marks, it could be—"

I tugged a black shirt off a hanger. I yanked my pajama shirt over my head and tossed it onto my bed. I slipped my arms through the new shirt. "It could be a hunter working with a vampire."

Poe paced in front of my dresser. "Impossible."

I moved around him and pulled a pair of my tactical joggers out of the dresser. "The vampires are trying to start a war. They know tensions are high between us and the witches anyway." I sat down on the bed, pulling my knee up to my chest to start lacing my boots. "Maybe they have someone on the inside feeding them info." I wrinkled my nose. "No pun intended."

"Come on, come on," Poe said. "Hurry up. We gotta get down there."

I walked out of my room, crossing the hallway into the bathroom. I yanked a hair tie out of the counter drawer and smoothed my curls into a ponytail.

"Are you going to brush that?" Poe asked.

"Do I have time?"

"Please brush it. It's making me nervous."

I rolled my eyes and brushed my hair, clearing it of sleepy knots and tangles. I swished it in Poe's face. "Happy?"

He wasn't looking at me though. He was starting at my spray bottle on the counter. I picked it up and spritzed my hair, smoothing down the frizzy pieces. He took it from me. "Can I have this?"

"I guess?"

He looked around the bathroom. "You have another one, right?"

"It's fine, Poe." I coated the wound on my neck in more salve and placed a fresh bandage over it. It was healing nicely. Probably wouldn't even scar.

I stepped around him and walked back toward the kitchen. Rose was at the front door. She looked at me once, nodded, and left. I opened the cabinets and removed two liters of rosewater. Even in the bottles, the rosewater burned warmly against my palms. Poe joined me, grabbing a liter.

"Go big or go home, right?" he asked, grinning and swirling the rosewater around in the bottle.

"She's already gonna be pissed and if it's as bad as you say it is, we're gonna need this stuff tonight." I tucked the bottle under my arm and walked through the entryway, scooping up my quiver on my way out.

Poe's data pad buzzed in his hand. I turned around. His face was ash-gray. He looked up at me.

"Holdo was attacked. They're taking her to the base in Chinatown."

"Wait, wait. They're in Manhattan now? I thought the dead witch was at—"

He flipped his data pad around and showed me the video feed he was watching. It was Times Square, and it was littered with dead bodies, blue and white lights from the screens flashing over them.

We bolted out of my apartment and sprinted down the stairwell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh hope you guys like this!! If you're interested in the lore/rules for this universe, just let me know! I'm working on the lore as I go :)
> 
> You can also find me on:
> 
> Tik Tok @stellarxwaves  
> Tumblr @stellarxwaves (nothing there yet lol)  
> Wattpad @stellarwaves
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	2. On Fire

We were the only two humans running toward Times Square. Everyone else sprinted past us, shoving and screaming, their eyes wide and afraid. Sirens echoed all around us.

Poe and I jogged by an alley, and I skidded to a stop. A teenage girl leaned against the brick wall; her face paled in pain. Another girl kneeled at her ankle, slowly twisting it this way and that.

“What are you doing?” Poe hissed.

“We have to help them.” I ducked into the alley. “What happened?”

The uninjured girl looked up at me. Her eyes landed on the stakes sticking out of my quiver, and relief colored her face. “Someone stepped on her ankle while we were running away.”

The other girl winced as she tried to move her foot.

Before I could move, Poe kneeled down next to the wounded girl. “May I?” He held an open palm next to her foot. She nodded. Gently, he felt along her foot and ankle, turning it a little. “Any sharp pains? About the same?” He reached into his pocket and dialed on his data pad. “I need a medic at 7th and 41st. Civilian with a possible fracture.”

The uninjured girl looked around nervously.

I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder. “What’s your name?”

“Mandy.” She looked at her friend on the ground. “She’s Mia. We’re from out of town. My mom is going to _freak—_ ”

“Poe! We’re here!” I turned and saw Rose and several other medics coming down the alley with a stretcher. She grabbed my shoulder as she passed me. “Paige is okay. She’s at the base.” Her face was grim. “I’ll tell you the rest later.”

She and the other medics bent down and lifted Mia off the concrete and onto the stretcher. They wheeled her out of the alley and towards their waiting van. Mandy jogged behind. She turned before she jumped into the van and waved.

“Thank you!” she called.

I lifted my hand.

Rose leaned out of the van, her hand gripping the handle. “You guys better get out there. They need you.” She slammed the door shut, and the van wheeled around, headed back to Brooklyn.

I punched Poe lightly on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Every access point to Times Square was blocked by civilian authorities and ambulances. Poe and I moved through the cars toward the bright, flashing screens of the square.

“Any idea what’s keepin’ us out?” a paramedic called out to me.

“Not sure yet. Just got here.”

“Be careful in there. Haven’t seen any of ya come back out.”

Poe and I exchanged a look.

I knew as soon as we approached Times Square why the civilians couldn’t get in. I saw the wards shimmering faintly all around us. When we stepped through them, I felt the chill of them running along my arms. They were weak, which is why we could pass through, but strong enough to keep some of the interference out. They were also strong enough to keep the noise of the square _in._

As soon as we stepped through the wards, screams ricocheted all around us. Vampires and hunters alike drug each other and civilians around, killing each other ruthlessly. I looked left and right and saw vampires leaning down, biting humans and forcing them to turn. The new bloods twitched and shuddered before standing and immediately searching for their own victims. I even saw a few wolves running between the buildings, but I wasn’t sure who they were aligned with tonight.

Poe and I stood back to back, our revolvers drawn. My free hand was poised over my stakes, ready for a fight. We moved in circles, looking up and down in case we’d been noticed in all the chaos.

“Where do we fucking start?” Poe asked.

“The new bloods. They’re our biggest threat right now. If they slip through these wards, we’ll never find them all.”

“Through the what?”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “That’s why the civilians can’t get in. They’re being stopped by wards. Incomplete wards, but they’re there.”

“So what, you got Spidey Senses now?”

Witchy senses, but I’d take it. “You ready?”

“I got your back.”

I broke away from him, charging forward to a new blood who was cornering one of the last humans remaining the square. I swooped up behind the vampire, running my stake through its back until the end pierced out of its chest. I listened as its flesh sizzled around the iron. It fell to its knees, and I ripped the stake out. When it slumped over, Poe put a silver bullet through its head for good measure.

I looked at the human and gestured to the closest ward. “Run.”

They ran.

Poe and I moved on to the next new blood, and the next, and the next and the next and the next. We weren’t able to save everyone. More than one hunter died before we could reach them and kill the vampire who was attacking them. I tried not to look at faces, but all around me, there were hunters I knew and recognized. Some of them fighting, more of them dying.

A vampire and a wolf tumbled in between Poe and me, knocking us both backward. I called out to him, but I couldn’t see him anymore over their bodies. The wolf and the vampire clawed and snipped at each other, their snarls ripping into my ears. The vampire lifted the wolf over its head, and I scrambled backwards to avoid being crushed.

I got to my feet and ran toward the center of the square, hoping to find a place to take cover and scan for Poe. I was about to dip off toward a building when something caught my eye, something still in the center of all the movement and chaos.

Six men stood at the base of One Times Square. They were dressed in black cloaks and pants, and they wore black, military-grade boots. The stillness with which they stood and watched the massacre told me they were vampires. Their heads turned this way and that, like they were scanning for someone or something. Their eyes passed over me more than once, like I wasn’t even there.

They way they stood under the brightest screens, unafraid, told me a silver bullet wouldn’t stop any of them. I reached back to grab a stake, preparing for the moment they did decide to notice me.

“Valencia!”

Someone knocked into me, shoving me to the ground. I rolled onto my back, stake already in my hands and ready to pierce whatever creature loomed above me. There was a vampire, standing right where I had been moments ago. A stake protruded from their chest, and their mouth leaked blood as they crumpled.

Poe ripped the stake out of its body and held out his hand to me. I took it, and he pulled me up. “What were you staring at? You could have been—”

I turned to look back at the six vampires and froze. I felt Poe’s shoulder stiffen against mine as we stared.

The six vampires stood right in front of us. The one in the center lifted his chin slightly and inhaled. His pupils dilated until his eyes were solid, black discs. His knees bent, his body curving forward to pounce. The others picked up on whatever he had and slowly assumed the same positions. My eyes flickered between all of their void-black eyes. I felt a chill grip my spine as I watched their lips part into snarls. It almost looked as though they were smiling.

I gripped my stake tighter and lifted it to aim.

The vampire in the center stared at me for a moment, and then his eyes trained on Poe. “Where is he?” he hissed.

I didn’t know what they could possibly mean. I glanced at Poe, but he looked just as clueless. His stake faltered, quivering slightly in his hand.

“We gotta make a move,” I said to him.

“There are six of them.”

“You still got that spray bottle?”

Poe’s weight shifted next to me, and I saw him grin out of the corner of my eye. I took that as a “Go.”

I leapt forward, slamming my stake into that vampire who stood in the center. He was too fast, and he moved just enough for my stake to lodge itself into his shoulder instead of his heart. The rosewater still ate away his skin, and he snarled in pain. I twirled away and shot two silver bullets into the head of the vampires next to him. The bullets didn’t even penetrate their skin. Instead, the bullets crumpled like accordions and fell to the ground. Great. Now they were just pissed off. I pulled two stakes out of my quiver and braced myself.

One of the others launched at Poe. Poe reached back, pulling the spray bottle off a clip on his belt, and spritzed the vampire in the face. The creature fell back, clutching at its sizzling skin. The two vampires I shot rushed forward, grabbing me under my arms and clawing me until I dropped my stakes. I felt the blood running down my arms in warm streaks and tried to keep still. If I jerked, their nails would just sink deeper and make the injury worse.

Even though I was pouring blood, they never once looked down at me. They both looked ahead, their nostrils flaring and eyes watching Poe’s every move. He staked the vampire he had sprayed in the face, and it cried out as it died. The other vampires made an awful, completely inhuman noise. It was almost like a howl, mournful and low.

The vampire who had stood in the center, recovered now, stood up and tore the stake out of his shoulder. He tossed it away and turned to look at me. His eyes flickered to the blood dripping off my skin.

The other two vampires grabbed Poe, twisting his wrist until I heard it snap. Poe cried out, and his face went white in pain. He dropped the spray bottle, and one of the vampires kicked it away. Both of them had their hands at his throat, their mouths dripping with saliva as they leaned forward—

“Stop!” The lead vampire stalked toward them. “You’ve done enough.” He grabbed them each by their collars and yanked them away from Poe.

Poe winced, the sharp movement twisting his broken wrist. He clutched at it with his other hand, looking at me for the first time and realizing I was in trouble, too. “Valencia—”

The lead vampire stepped in front of him so he couldn’t see me. “You will answer my questions, or she dies. Is that understood?”

The vampires holding me tightened their grips on my arms, and I bit back a cry. I wasn’t going to let them use me to hurt Poe. I didn’t know what they wanted from him, but they weren’t going to get it.

I felt the faint pulses of other witches, still alive and fighting, in the square. I began whispering an incantation, calling out to them for help. I stopped and listened.

No one answered me. I weighed my options. There were a million things I could do to knock these vampires away from us, but it would require a lot of energy, and it was a risk. If Poe saw me, for even a second, he would know what I was.

Poe cried out again. The leader had reached out and twisted his wrist again, still grilling him for information.

“I don’t care who you want!” Poe spat. “Not gonna — AH!”

I gritted my teeth and felt my eyes roll back as my body tensed with energy, the power of it teeming underneath my skin. I began mouthing the spell and felt the words burning their way up my throat from my core. The vampires who held me loosened their grip, likely feeling the heat starting to roll off of me in waves.

I heard the lead vampire call out. “What’s happening?”

I screamed and fire exploded from within in me, twisting from my fingertips and wrapping around each of the vampires in vines. I pulled my fingers back into fists and then yanked my hands backward, pulling them all into a fiery pile in front of me.

The fire wouldn’t kill them of course, but it would be very uncomfortable and take some time to heal from. Poe staggered forward, trying to see what was happening through the smoke and haze.

The vampires burned, swinging their arms out as they tried to grab me. I backed away and ran to Poe. I took hold of his good hand and pulled him. “We have to go! Now!”

“Where did that come from?” He cradled his broken wrist against his chest, running behind me as I pulled him.

I heard an awful roar and spun around. That lead vampire, still aflame, was stalking toward us. Poe and I ran faster, but eventually, that fire would run out and the vampire would catch up. I felt the soreness already forming in my abdomen, across my shoulders, down the sides of my legs. I wouldn’t be able to run much more.

A sleek car swung in front of us. I recognized the handsome, kind face immediately.

“Raphi!” I cried.

“Get in!”

I pulled Poe behind me. I yanked the car door open and shoved Poe in the backseat, scrambling in behind him. I slammed the door and watched the vampire scream after us as Raphi spun the car in the opposite direction.

I leaned forward, placing my hand on his shoulder. “The wards!”

“There’s one that’s already down. No civilians blocking the way.”

The car’s engine roared as he accelerated.

There was a deep slash across his neck. I reached out and touched the edges of it gingerly. I reached into my pocket and took out a vial of my rose salve. I smoothed some of it across my fingertips and applied a thin layer to his wound.

“Thank you, Val,” he said. His big, brown eyes flicked up to look at me in the rear-view mirror. “You’re drained.”

I fell back against the seat behind me, sighing. “Yeah. But we had to get out of there.” I looked over at Poe, who was just staring at us. Expressionless. I moved closer to him. “Let me see your hand.”

“The salve?” he asked.

“It won’t heal the bone, but it will help with the pain. Anything done at the hand of a vampire can be eased.” I spread the salve around his wrist in a bracelet, and I watched as his face relaxed, his breathing more regulated.

“Thank you.”

Raphi drove through the broken ward and turned east.

“Who is this, Val?” Poe asked me.

“This is Raphi. Raphi, Poe.” Raphi held up his hand in acknowledgment. “Where are we going?”

“You can’t go back to your base. Not right now,” Raphi said.

Poe leaned forward, using his other hand to grip onto the headrest in front of him. “No, no, no. You have to take us there.”

“We can’t risk leading those vampires to the base,” I said.

“Valencia, those vampires were on _fire._ ”

“They won’t be forever,” Raphi said. “And something tells me they have back up.”

Poe looked at me. “Can you grab my data pad?”

I reached into his pocket and handed it to him. He awkwardly punched the controls on it until a voice crackled over it.

“Dameron?” It was Kaydel.

“What’s going on? Is the base secure?”

“We’re fine for now. No word on Holdo.”

“Finn?”

“He’s fine. Worried, but fine. Is Valencia with you?”

“Hey, Del,” I called out.

“Make sure you aren’t followed,” she said, and ended the call.

“See?” I said to Poe. “Standard protocol.”

“Well, where are we going then?”

Raphi looked at him in the mirror. “SoHo.”

Poe fell back against his seat and stared out the window. I reached across and put my hand on his knee. “We’ll be safe there, I promise.”

Poe looked at me once, and then he looked back out the window. “Okay.”

I leaned forward again, clinging to Raphi’s headrest.

“You need to put your seatbelt on,” he told me.

I ignored him. “Were you in the square, Raphi?”

“I was. I heard the —” a brief glance at Poe, and then, “I saw you guys and stopped. You weren’t hard to miss with a flaming vampire behind you.”

“Who set up those wards?”

“It’s a mess, Valencia. I’m not sure what happened, but there’s been a split. It’s not going to be the same after tonight.”

“Your apartment is secure?”

“Of course.”

“Is Calista there?”

“No…” He sighed. “We haven’t heard from Calista in hours.”

I thought about the dead witch left in front of the base, and the many slain ones lying in Times Square. But if Paige was okay, and she’d been with Paige when this happened…

“We’d know if something happened.”

“I hope so,” Raphi said. “Things are going to be quiet for a while. They weren’t able to control what happened tonight, which is going to have the whole city, the whole world, on high alert. We have to use that downtime to our advantage.”

Poe leaned forward. He couldn’t stand it anymore. “Does someone want to fill me in?”

“I’m a warlock,” Raphi said to Poe.

Poe rolled his eyes. “I got that one figured out. What about the rest? A split among the witches? Some of them working for the vampires now?”

Raphi narrowed his eyes. “And some of you, too. We didn’t stake one of our own.”

“Hey, hey,” Poe warned.

“Yes, the vampires recruited some of the witches to set up wards in Times Square so that they could do a mass-conversion. It’s that coven. The big one. They’re trying to grow their numbers and in a hurry.”

“A mass-conversion in New York City? In Times Square?” Poe shook his head.

“If the wards functioned properly, no one would have ever known. Not even us,” I said.

Raphi slowed the car, pulling into the parking spot next to his building.

Poe reached forward and grabbed his shoulder. “How do you know we weren’t followed?”

“This building has enchantments pouring out of every brick. Nothing can touch us here.”

“No monsters, you mean. I hope you don’t have any witchy enemies.” Poe threw the car door open and slid out.

Raphi got out and yelled over the roof of his car. “Yeah, or rogue hunters!” He looked at me. “You weren’t kidding.”

“Yeah, he’s got an ego. He’ll come back down in a few minutes.” I called out to Poe. “Hey, buddy, know where ya going?”

Poe stopped in front of the building, his good hand resting on his hip. He cradled his other hand against his chest again and — I think — he actually pouted.

“Come on,” I said to Raphi. “We gotta work on that hand.”

Raphi caught my arm. “I don’t think he knows, Val.”

“There’s no way—”

“He wasn’t looking at you the way he looked at me. You’re good.” Raphi smiled, his eyes crinkling through the pieces of curly hair hanging over his forehead. “I got this. Plus, you need to rest. Like, really rest.”

“Alright, alright.”

“You guys coming or what? I’ve got a broken wrist here.”

We walked toward him. Raphi unlocked the door to the building, and the three of us stepped inside.

Raphi’s apartment was very cozy. Dark brown, leather furniture lined the dark green walls. The centerpiece of the entire apartment was his enormous TV, of course. It was a one-bedroom apartment, but it was all he needed. Calista owned the building, so I knew he was always safe here. I bit my lip, wondering which side of the split she fell on, and if his safety would be in jeopardy now.

As soon as Poe was comfortable on the couch, Raphi knelt down in front of him, holding out his hands. “I can help you.”

“I don’t know how I feel about this,” Poe said. His eyes flickered to me. “Is this the guy who makes your rosewater?” Raphi was right. Poe must not have seen anything in the square, somehow. “Or does he just do fire tricks?” Poe cocked an eyebrow.

Ah. So, he thought Raphi did that. I fought back the urge to roll my eyes, and Raphi smirked at me.

“He doesn’t make the rosewater for me,” I said. “But you can trust him, Poe. He saved our lives.” At that, Poe softened, his shoulders falling. He nodded at Raphi.

Raphi carefully took Poe’s hand in his and began working. Raphi slid his eyes over to me. “Valencia.”

I held up my hands. “I’m going, I’m going.”

I turned and walked down the hallway toward the bathroom. I opened the small hall closet on the way, pulling out a pair of spare pajamas I always kept here. I walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

Raphi’s bathroom was to die for. In the center was a quartz tub, which was excellent for restoration and healing. I ran the water so hot it felt cold, and then turned it down just a few degrees so I wouldn’t boil. I found the chamomile salts under the sink and poured them into the water. I poured some of my salve into the water as well, mixing it in with my hand.

I took off my clothes slowly, wincing at the way my shirt sleeves pulled on the cuts on my arms. I had slathered them with the salve the best I could in the car, they were still bleeding then. I lifted my arms to look at the damage. My arms were stained with blood, but the actual cuts were deep, crescent moons. The shape of fingernails. I put my arms down.

I removed the bandage from my neck and sighed. At least that wound had healed, and there was no scar. I dropped the bandage into the trash can. Once I removed my pants, underwear, and my bra, I twisted and turned in the mirror. Lots of scrapes and bruises here and there, but nothing I hadn’t dealt with before. I grabbed an un-opened bar of soap from the counter and turned to the tub.

I cut off the water and slipped in, letting my back glide down the smooth quartz sides. The tub was deep, so the water formed a collar around my neck as I sunk into it. I felt the chamomile working around my joints instantly. But I still felt the soreness deeper within my body. It felt like an extreme exhaustion, like I’d been running and starving for weeks. I wished I was at home with Paige and Rose, in our rose-scented apartment. I glanced at my data pad on the bathroom counter, and then I angled my body toward the wall and closed my eyes.

When I woke up, my fingers and toes were pruned and the water was lukewarm. My body felt a little better, but not much. The next thing I needed was sleep, and a lot of it. I wasn’t sure what time it was anymore. I reached for my bar of soap and quickly washed my body, gliding my hands carefully over my arms. I dipped my head back into the water and used some of Raphi’s shampoo. We had the same curly hair luckily; his products were delightful to use. Unlike the time I had stayed with Poe, who somehow used 3-in-1 and still looked dashing. I rinsed my hair and twisted it into a bun at my neck. I stood up, letting the water drip off of me for a moment before I stepped out and grabbed my towel. I reached into the tub and twisted the drain.

Once I was dry, I applied more of the salve to my arms and other scrapes, and then I slipped into my pajama pants and shirt. I dried my hair a little before twisting it up and clipping it to the back of my head. I grabbed my data pad and saw a message from Rose.

_Kaydel said you checked in. Where are you guys?_

I typed back. _With Raphi. Are you home?_

I glanced at the time. It almost two in the morning. She might be on shift or she might be home with Paige. If Paige was home again. I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

Three light knocks sounded on the bathroom door. “Come in,” I said.

Raphi opened the door and leaned on the frame. “Feel better?”

“A little. I slept some but I need a real bed.”

He smiled. “Poe’s on the couch. I’ve got mine turned down for you.”

“Thanks, Raphi.”

I followed him into his room, and then I shoved past him to dive into the bed. His bedroom was similar to the rest of the apartment. Leather headboard and footboard, gray sheets, the same dark green walls. I pulled the sheets up to my chin and let my body sink into the mattress.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Thank you. I don’t know what I would have—”

“I’m glad I was there.” His dark eyes flashed with worry once, and then it was gone. “I’ll be gone in the morning.”

I sat up. He put a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down. “Where are you going?”

“Calista called. Your Holdo is hurt badly, but she’s awake now, and she’s willing to talk.”

I sat up again, shoving his hand away. “I should be there.”

“We aren’t speaking with the hunters yet. And we can’t risk exposing you and the Ticos until we’re sure we can trust Holdo.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fair.” I looked at him. “Do they know who the witch was? At the base?”

“I haven’t heard anything yet, but I expect that will come up.” He placed his hand on my shoulder again and nudged me backwards, gently. “You have to rest. You are Poe are safe here.”

“Be careful, Raphi.”

He backed away, toward the door and smiled at me. “I will be.” He closed his bedroom door and was gone.

My data pad buzzed on the nightstand. I read Rose’s message and sighed with relief.

_Just got here. Paige is here too._

_See you guys soon. Staying put for now._

_Rest up._

I placed my data pad back on the nightstand and fell back against the pillows on the bed. The cool sheets soothed my sore muscles. I brought the sheets up over my head and fell asleep.

The next time I woke up, streaks of sunlight poured across the room from the window. I threw the covers off of me and sat up. I checked my data pad. No new messages, and it was almost eleven in the morning. I heard dishes clinking on the other side of the door so I got to my feet.

I walked down the hall toward the kitchen and found Poe rummaging around in the cabinets, the refrigerator wide open.

“If you were a warlock,” he said, “where would you keep your cereal?”

I heard a familiar chuckle, and I rushed forward into the kitchen. I saw Poe’s data pad propped up on the kitchen table, and Finn’s smiling face was on it.

“Finn!” I cried, scooping up the phone.

“Val!”

I hadn’t seen him awake since the alley. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, better. When can you guys come to the base?”

“I—”

Poe took the phone from me, turning the screen toward his face. “I’ll call ya later, babe.”

“Poe, give me back to her.”

“Love you,” Poe said, staring at his screen.

“Love you, too. Bye, Valencia.”

“Bye, Finn.” I glared at Poe.

Poe put his data pad on the table. He placed his hands on the back of one of the chairs and looked up at me. “You and I need to talk.”

I felt a cool sweat forming at my neck. “Poe, you have to—”

“No, no. Me first.” He narrowed his eyes. “I seem to remember a conversation between you and me about _secrets._ About trust.”

I lowered my gaze, staring at the floor.

“When were you going to tell us that you’re dating a warlock?”

My head snapped up. “What?”

“This dude. Raphi.”

“You think Raphi is my boyfriend?”

“Think?” Poe scoffed. “The way he swooped in to save the day, setting all those vampires on fire? I heard him tell you he loved you, so cat’s outta the bag.”

“Poe, Raphi is not my boyfriend.” I bit my lip to avoid laughing.

Poe’s eyes narrowed again. He didn’t miss that. “What’s so funny?”

“He’s my brother!” I cleared my throat, trying to muffle my giggle.

Poe’s brown eyes widened. “Your…your brother? I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“I know you didn’t. For obvious reasons.” Was I still lying to him about who I really was? Yep. Did I feel even more guilty than before? Yep. Did we have time to deal with all of that right now? Nope.

“Well…” He pointed a finger at me. “I deserved to know about it. Me and Finn deserved to know.”

“You’re right. Now you know.” I walked over toward the cabinets above the stove and removed the cereal. I took the milk out of the fridge and handed it to Poe. “Here you go.”

He poured the cereal and milk into a bowl, his eyes never leaving my face. He sighed, handing the milk back to me. “You know, it makes sense. You guys have the same hair.”

“Everyone says that.” I closed the fridge.

Poe sat down and started eating his cereal. I sat in the chair across from him.

“He locked us in,” Poe said between crunches. “I can’t even open a window.”

“It’s just for protection. Until he comes back.”

“I’m ready to get back to the base. No one knows anything about Holdo.”

“That’s where Raphi is now. Holdo woke up and wanted to speak with the witches.”

Poe looked up at me. “You’re kidding.”

“That’s what Raphi told me.”

“I’ve sent messages to everyone, including Kaydel, and they don’t know anything. How can you be sure the witches are telling the truth? How would they even know?”

I leaned forward. “If a truce is in the works, they probably want to keep it quiet. From the vampires and the compromised witches and hunters alike.”

“Good point.” He stood up and rinsed his bowl in the sink. “Sorry about before, with Finn. I thought you were the enemy.”

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the back of his head. “Raphi saved us last night, and you still think the witches are the enemy?”

He turned around and leaned against the kitchen counter. He crossed his arms. “I don’t know. I’ve felt that way for a long time, but I don’t think anything’s going to be the same now.”

“That’s probably true.”

Poe looked at me. “Hey, so how come—”

Raphi walked into the apartment then, and I thought a prayer of thanks. I needed Raphi to stay and block any further questions from Poe right now.

“Hey, guys,” Raphi said. He looked exhausted.

“What happened?” I asked.

He walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch. I sat down next to him and put my hands on either side of his face.

Poe sat down in the chair opposite us. “She told me you’re her brother. So we’re cool.”

Raphi smiled. I dropped my hands. “Glad to hear it.”

“And, thanks. For helping me out. And for saving us.” Poe nodded once.

“Raphi,” I said. “What happened?”

“No truce,” he said. He rubbed his eyes. “We were holding wards around the base in Chinatown while Calista and Holdo spoke. It took a lot of energy from everyone, after last night.”

“Do they know who set up those wards last night? They were partial, but someone had to start them.”

“Calista’s dealt with a few witches and warlocks already, but there are more. They’re not going to talk now, that’s for sure.”

I grimaced.

“This Calista person killed them?” Poe asked.

“Calista is our leader, and yes.” Raphi nodded. “That’s the punishment for treason.”

“Holdo will do the same when she finds out which hunters have betrayed us,” I said. “Who was the witch?”

“No one knew her. It seems as though she belonged to the vampires. She may have been a familiar, with all those bite marks on her.” Raphi rubbed the back of his head.

I saw Poe shift uncomfortably next to me.

“But a hunter killed her?” I asked.

“It seems that way. Holdo wants to investigate since the witch was found at the base, but as soon as Calista realized the witch worked with vampires, she didn’t care to know anything more about her.”

Poe exhaled. “So, long story short, no truce?”

“No,” Raphi said. “And that’s on both sides. An agreement could not be reached. Both sides will continue to fight, but not working together.”

“That’s ridiculous,” I said, slinging myself against the couch.

Poe stood up. “We have to go. We have to get to that base in Chinatown and talk to Holdo. She’s gotta understand basic strategy. We need numbers right now. If we stand together, we’re more powerful.”

“I agree with you,” Raphi said. “But Calista must be convinced as well. Both of them are too prideful. They both want to lead and lead alone.”

“Can I leave now?” Poe asked. “If I can get back to the home base, I can get some people together. Rally the troops. Least I can do is convince Holdo, and maybe your people can work on Calista?”

Raphi nodded. “I need to rest, but it’s worth a shot.”

Poe walked forward and held out his hand. They shook.

“Thanks again,” he said to Raphi. He looked at me. “You ready?”

Raphi stood up and pulled me off the couch with him. “Give us a minute.”

I followed Raphi back to his room. He closed the door behind him. He brushed by me to sit down on his bed.

“I’m going to be gone for a while, Valencia.”

I stepped forward, my heart already tightening. “Where are you going?”

“Calista wants me to join her on a trip to seek help. From other witches.”

“How long?”

He sighed. “I’m not sure. At least a few weeks.”

“Where to first?”

“South Carolina. That’s all I know.” He looked up at me. “You’re going to have to be careful, Valencia.”

“I will be. Of course.” I hugged him. “You have to be careful, too.”

“I’ll call you when I can. We’re leaving this afternoon.”

“I love you, Raphi.”

He patted my back. “I love you too, sis. Poe’s a good partner. Stick together.”

I leaned back and mussed his hair. “He’s a rascal.”

Raphi laughed and hugged me one more time. I walked to the door and waved at him before I turned and closed it behind me.

In the bathroom, I changed into jeans and a fresh shirt and joined Poe in the living room. The air in the apartment felt lighter now that the wards keeping us in were down. I slung my quiver over my shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Our cab ride back to Brooklyn was quiet. I knew Poe was plotting his speech in his head, all the things he’d say to rally the hunters. It would work. I’d only known him a short time, but I’d seen this before. He had a way with inspiring people and giving them hope. I typed a message to Rose.

_Headed home._

_We’re here._

I leaned back in my seat and stared at the water as we crossed the bridge. The sun glinted on it like fire. I thought about last night, and about that vampire who staggered after us, even though his entire body burned. I thought about Raphi leaving and felt relief. Hopefully, he would be long gone before my new enemies found out who I was. I would be worried about him, but right now, he was safer the farther away he was from this city.

The cab stopped at my apartment building first. Before I slid out, Poe caught my sleeve. “Come see us later, okay? Visit with Finn.”

I smiled. “Yeah, just gimme a call.”

He beamed. “See ya.”

I got out of the cab and jogged up the steps to my building.

Rose and Paige were waiting for me in the living room. Both of them jumped up and rushed toward me when I walked in the door. I dropped my quiver and ran forward to meet them. We danced in a circle, hugging each other and laughing.

“I’m so glad we’re all okay!” Rose cried.

“Me, too!” I pulled back so I could look at both of them. Rose had a few scratches across her cheeks, but they were already healing. Paige looked okay, too, but she looked tired. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“I was with Calista when we heard about the murdered witch at the base. I was trying to tell her about my vision, but all of that got interrupted, of course.” Paige frowned. “And then I spent a very long night helping her interrogate witches and warlocks.”

I reached out and grabbed her hand. “I heard about that, too. Raphi told me she killed some of them.”

Paige nodded, her expression blank. “They were guilty. Most of them were responsible for setting up those wards in Times Square for the vampires.”

“What happened, though?” I asked. “Why were the wards incomplete?”

“I heard it was a dispute among the vampires,” Rose said. “Some power struggle within their ranks interrupted everything.”

“Well, who was the idiot who decided a mass-conversion in Times Square was a good idea anyway?” I asked.

Rose shrugged. “Definitely back-fired.”

Paige’s eyes slid toward me. “Speaking of.”

I glanced at Rose, who was also staring at me. “Speaking of what?”

“We heard,” Paige said.

“I can’t believe you’re still standing right now,” Rose said. “Someone said it was seven vampires?”

“It was six,” I said. “Well, five really. One of them was already dead.”

Paige smiled. “The others assumed Raphi helped you, but he told everyone this morning it was just you.”

I felt my cheeks getting hot. “Poe was hurt. They were hurting him. I tried calling out, but no one could help me. I had to do something.”

Paige squeezed my hand. “You have to teach me.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I was actually hoping you guys could help me trace my energy from last night. For all my hard work, those vampires are not dead.”

They both stared at me.

“Those burns will take some time to heal,” I said. “I just want to get them while they’re down. Poe will help me.”

“Maybe we should help, too,” Paige said. “Five or six vampires is still quite a few, even when they’re weakened.”

“And pissed off,” Rose said, smiling.

“Thanks, Rose.” I laughed.

Paige smiled. “Let’s eat, and then we’ll track your energy signature and find them. They can’t be far.”

The sisters turned and walked into the kitchen, but I stayed still, feeling the chill dance along my spine. I looked out the windows at the setting sun. Paige was right. They couldn’t be far at all, not in this city. 


	3. In My Head

Paige, Rose, and I stood in a circle in our living room. We joined hands, intertwining our fingers. Together, we closed our eyes and repeated the spell for locating energies. In my mind's eye, I was a bird, flying over Brooklyn and Manhattan. I dove down from the clouds and scanned for the red aura that would mark my vampires' location. As I passed over Central Park, I felt heat rising up from the earth. I banked to the right, toward the Upper East Side, and saw a red cloud gathering around an apartment building a few blocks from the Met.

"There," we said together.

The edges of my vision blurred until the last thing I could see was that building and the red cloud swirling around it. I opened my eyes and exhaled.

"Tomorrow night," I said.

Paige nodded. "That will give us time to prepare ourselves and brew more rosewater. Are you still going to ask Poe to help?"

"Yes, when I see him tonight."

"Calista is gone," Rose said. "I could ask around and see if anyone is willing—"

"No," I said. "I don't want any more witches getting hurt. Or hunters. It's my mess to clean up."

"I'm going to take a shift tonight," Rose said. She picked up her data pad and began typing. "That way I can be off tomorrow."

"Are you going to tell Kaydel?" Paige asked me.

I shook my head. "Poe and I are supposed to be laying low. We ignored those orders last night, but I don't think she'd be thrilled about us going out again."

"What will you do about Finn?"

The familiar, cold pang of guilt formed in my stomach yet again. "I just can't trust him out there right now."

"I agree with you," Rose said. "He's not safe until we know who his master is."

My data pad buzzed in my pocket. It was Poe.

_PIZZA ORDERED. U GOT BEER?_

I smiled. "Gotta go."

Paige tilted her head and stared at me. "Are you going to tell them? Since they know about Raphi now?"

I looked at the floor. "I'm a hypocrite. I know that."

"Oh, Val, that's not what—"

"They should know. Of course they should. But Poe feels so strongly about everything, and after the way I reacted to Finn..."

Rose cocked an eyebrow. "You really believe Dameron doesn't already have his suspicions about you? I mean, he has to figure the odds."

"No, you're right." I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"If you want to tell them, let us be there with you. We need unity between witches and hunters now more than anything. Maybe seeing the three of us for what we really are will help them come around." Paige rubbed my shoulder.

"Finn can't say anything," Rose said. "Dude's a familiar."

I smirked. "Maybe I'll lead with that. Judge not lest ye be judged."

Rose and I fist bumped. Paige shook her head.

"But," I said, "I'm not doing any of that tonight. I need him to help me exterminate some vampires first."

Rose nodded. "And that's on _strategy_."

"I know it's a short walk, but be careful," Paige told me. "Take the beer in the fridge so you don't have to stop anywhere."

"Thanks, Paige." I hugged them both. "I'm going to change."

I walked toward my room and closed the door behind me. I yanked my duffle bag out from under my bed and unzipped it. I opened my closet and placed my hands on my hips, assessing my options.

I didn't want to put the Ticos in any danger. They were both hunters like me, but vampire slaying was neither girls' strong suit. Rose was a talent in medicine, and Paige worked circles around us both in most forms of magic. Poe and I could handle five vampires. And I could handle five vampires alone if I was properly equipped.

I passed over my regular hunting boots for a more serious pair. With this pair, if I stomped my foot, an iron blade struck out from the toe of each boot. The blades were perfect for stunning vampires of any age or strength, even if only for a second. I exposed the iron blades on each boot and coated them in rosewater for good measure. I laid the boots and a pair of thick socks in my duffle bag. I removed a pair of my thicker cargo joggers and another black, long sleeve T-shirt — my go-to for comfortable hunting. I packed my quiver, extra silver bullets, and another liter of rosewater and then zipped the duffle bag shut.

I pulled on ripped jeans and my favorite Winger band shirt, and then I reached back and tucked my revolver into the waistband of my jeans. I put on my plainest pair of Doc Martens and let my hair hang freely around my shoulders. I snagged a hair tie off my dresser and slipped it over my wrist. I checked myself in the mirror. Very casual, Valencia. Nice.

I slung the duffle bag over my shoulder and walked back out into the living room. Paige and Rose were huddled over the bowl, their eyes closed. I skipped into the kitchen and yanked the twelve pack of beer out of the fridge.

"Thanks again for the beer, Paige. See you guys! I might stay over at their place."

"Check in," Paige said.

"Be safe!" Rose called after her.

I left the apartment, locking the door and tugging on it for good measure. The crisp, fall air felt good on my skin. I should have grabbed a jacket for the walk, but it was only a few blocks to the base so I just quickened my pace.

The beer cans clinked together as I moved, which I was thankful for because it covered the sound of my stakes clinking together in my duffle bag. I passed a few plain, human families as I walked. I was surprised to see them out and about, but there was no telling how the general media handled what happened last night in Times Square. No doubt they wouldn't want anything _too_ bad to get out and kill the tourism for the upcoming holiday season.

With the vampires laying low and licking their wounds, New York might be enjoyable for a little bit. I thought back to last night, remembering the wolves I saw running through the square. What were _they_ up to? I'd have to look into that when I could. They mostly stayed out of our hair, but something must have drawn them to the city.

I walked up the steps to the base and frowned as I walked in. The mood was different here, and many faces I'd come to know were missing. Some of them I knew to be dead, but I hadn't been back here to really realize that they were gone. Kaydel stood in the entryway. When she saw me, she grinned and ran up to me.

"Valencia! Welcome back!"

I set the beer down and hugged her. "It's good to see you, Del. How did it go here?"

"We did okay. Holdo is still in Chinatown." She looked me over, her eyes scanning my body for injuries. "Not bad."

I lifted my arm and showed her the cuts. "They got me a little bit."

"Heard a witch saved you and Poe?"

I fought the urge to groan. At least if I told the truth, I could start getting credit for all of the cool shit. "A warlock, yeah."

She nodded. "I'm grateful."

Stray pieces of hair were falling out of the two buns she wore on her head. I reached up and tucked the small pieces back in place. "How are our numbers?"

Kaydel glanced around, her smile fading. "It's not great, Val. It's been...grim here today." She touched my shoulder. "Come see me. Maybe tomorrow when I have more time."

"Of course."

We hugged again, and I picked up the beer and walked toward the elevators. I pressed the button for Poe and Finn's floor. When the elevator doors opened again, Finn was waiting for me, grinning ear to ear.

I leapt forward and hugged him, the beer swinging around and smacking his back.

"Ow!" he laughed.

"Sorry, sorry!"

He leaned back and my feet left the floor. I laughed as he squeezed me tighter and set me back down. "I owe you an apology, Val."

I shook my head. "No, no. It's okay, Finn."

"Yeah, but—"

"No," I said. I put my hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault. How are you?"

His smile faltered. "I'm okay."

I rubbed his shoulder and hugged him again.

"Alright, alright, break it up." Poe leaned on the door frame of their apartment. He grinned at me.

Finn and I walked through the door way, and I dropped the case of beer into Poe's hands. "Pizza here yet?"

"Not yet. Shouldn't be much longer." Poe set the beer down on the kitchen table and cracked one open. "Anyone else?"

"I'll wait for my food." I smiled, looking around their apartment.

It was similar to Raphi's in its masculine efficiency, and Finn and Poe also owned an unreasonably large television. Their game consoles and VR headsets littered the floor, and I smirked. They deserved a good, long break from hunting.

I walked into the living room and set my duffle bag on the couch. I sat down next to it, picking up the game controller on the table. The screen resumed, and I frowned. "Mario Kart?"

"Don't judge us," Poe said. He punched my shoulder as he plopped down next to me. He picked up the other controller, and we started racing.

"Princess Peach?"

"She has the coolest cars."

"Fair," I said, swerving my Toad avatar away from a banana.

"Toad is superior," Finn said, sitting on the armrest next to me. "By the way, you staying over here?"

"Yeah, that's cool right?"

"Of course! We can stay up late and watch movies." Finn fist pumped.

"And you can watch me kick Poe's ass," I said as Toad's car careened across the black and white finish line.

"You literally jumped in mid-race. Let's play a full round."

His data pad buzzed then, and he looked at it. "Pizza. Be right back." He dashed out the front door, almost slamming it behind him.

Finn snickered.

I looked up at him. "How are you really?"

He winced. "I'm scared, Val. I thought—" He cleared his throat, rubbing it gently with his fingertips. "I thought they were dead."

"You're compelled," I said. It wasn't a question.

He nodded. "Even after all this time. I guess that's how I should have known they were still out there, right? I just thought it was a really strong compulsion." His eyes flickered to the door and then back to my face. "Poe told me about your brother. Do you think he could help me?"

"He left town for a while, he—"

"The vampires always had witches around. I know they can do things to break bonds between vampires and familiars."

I nodded. "They can. But you have to have the permission of the sire. They have to be willing to relinquish their hold. Without that, your only hope is if they're dead."

"I want to find them," he said. He was staring at the floor. "I want to find them and kill them." He looked at me again, his dark eyes watering. "They would never let me go."

"How long were you with them, Finn?"

"I was twenty years old when they found me."

"Are they part of that coven with the tattoos? Do you—"

He tilted his head side to side. He couldn't even open his mouth. He pulled the neck of his shirt sideways, revealing his shoulder. There was a crescent moon tattooed there, but no rose. "I can't say anymore, Val. I'm sorry."

I rubbed his arm. "Don't be. We're going to figure this out. I promise."

He placed his hand over mine and gave it a squeeze. "I wish you never had to worry about this."

Poe walked back in, balancing three pizzas on one palm. "Dinner time, losers."

At almost two in the morning, the boys decided it was time for bed. I said goodnight to them, and then walked across the apartment to the spare bedroom. I quickly changed into the clothes I had packed. I stomped my right foot lightly and tested the blade. Perfect. I slid it back into place and then scooped my hair into a ponytail. I slung my quiver over my back, made sure my revolver was loaded (in case I came across other vampires), and tucked a few spare vials of rosewater into my pockets.

I opened my bedroom door and peered out into the living room. Coast was clear. I crept to the front door and opened it quietly. I was about to close it behind me when a hand planted on my shoulder and pulled me back inside the apartment. Poe shoved me back into the wall, holding me there with one hand.

"Where you going, Kim Possible?"

I rolled my eyes. "My pants aren't even green."

"You have three seconds to tell me," he said.

"Or what?"

"I'll be suiting up and coming with you. Wherever you're going." He leaned back and crossed his arms.

"I'm sneaking out because I don't _want you_ to come along."

He frowned. "Why not? You got a new partner or something?"

I shook my head. "No. But I got this. You need to stay here with Finn."

"I thought we were done with secrets, Valencia."

"We are. This isn't a secret. It's just none of your business." I moved to step around him, but he put his hand back on my shoulder.

"I _know_ , Valencia."

I looked at him. He stared at me, his eyes wavering as he looked into mine, searching my face for a reaction. I kept my expression blank. The cold pit formed in my stomach again, coiling tight in my core.

"I saw what you did last night when you saved me." He sighed. "I tried to catch you in the lie, but you didn't falter. Not once. Didn't take any of my bait. It made me think I was wrong, that maybe Raphi really did cast that fire on the vampires."

I didn't say a word.

"I know I talk a lot of shit about witches, but I do know a few. And you're all they can talk about, Valencia."

I shifted my eyes to stare at the wall behind him. I felt the guilt rising up within me, but I couldn't deal with it right now. I had a mission to accomplish. I tried to move away from him again, and again he stopped me.

"Don't get me wrong, it's annoying because you had such a nice speech for me about trust and lies." He said the last bit through gritted teeth. "But, I do understand why you didn't tell me. You've heard me say a lot of hateful shit about people like you."

"I want you to tell me who you spoke to. I want to know who ratted me out, and then I'm leaving." I stared at him.

His face softened, and then he smirked. "Holy shit."

I felt my face getting hot. Oh, no. No, no, no—

"I can't fucking believe you," he said, smirk gone.

I shoved him back. "You were bluffing?" My voice was a hiss.

"Yep."

"Fuck you, Dameron."

I tried to jerk the front door open, but he placed his palm on it and held it shut. "Fuck _me_? _Fuck me?_ Yeah, right, Valencia."

"If you don't let me go—"

"Why should I, you fucking liar?"

I whirled around to face him. "What did you expect? You think I'm going to spill my guts to a guy who hates witches and works for a woman who hates them even more? Never mind the fact that the entire Resistance has a problem with people like me."

He exhaled. "You're right. I said that, didn't I? Didn't I say that I understood why you wouldn't tell me?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Can we agree that we have both lied to each other? And we were both wrong?" His hand slid off the door. "Because I need to tell you something."

I felt my blood boiling under my skin. I stared into his brown eyes for a moment, and then I crossed my arms. "Fine. What?"

He grabbed me, pulling me into a hug. It was the first real hug he'd ever given me. My arms melted against his chest, and I coughed a little bit from the tightness of his arms around me.

"Poe?"

He leaned back, letting me go and wiping his eyes in one, quick movement. "I'm sorry for anything mean I ever said about witches. I'm sorry I ever made you feel bad about who you are." He stared at me. "You've saved my life more in the last six months than anyone ever has, Val. And what you did last night..." He shook his head. "I don't know what me and Finn would do without you."

I bit my lip. "I'm sorry, too, Poe. I lied to you both, and I wasn't right to be so harsh about Finn when I had a secret also. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. I just..." His eyes widened. "When I saw what you did last night, I couldn't believe it. I didn't see you do it, of course, but I saw what happened, and I just remember thinking about the power that something like that would take, and...I'm in awe of you, Val. I really am." He sniffed. "And your brother is cool as hell. You guys are cool."

"You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

He scoffed, planting his hands on his hips. "You think I'm a snitch? I'm not telling Holdo shit."

"Glad we agree on that."

"But...I did already tell Finn."

I swallowed. "When?"

"This morning. It was just a theory then, but I had to see what he thought." Poe smiled. "He told me to leave it alone. He said that even if you were a witch, you were a good one and we could trust you."

I closed my eyes so I wouldn't tear up. "I have to talk to him. I'll be back in the morning, okay? I'll bring bagels."

Poe's smile faded. "Where are you going, really? Please don't go alone."

I didn't want to ruin anything with another lie, but I didn't know what to tell him. I couldn't tell him the truth because he'd want to come along. I couldn't risk anything happening to him or Finn or the Ticos right now. None of this was their fault.

"I just have something to do. I can handle it." I reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

He sighed. "I gotta trust you on it."

"You do."

He placed his hand on the door handle, but he stopped before he opened it for me. He looked at me, eyes narrowed. "The Ticos are witches too, aren't they?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. "Poe."

"Fine. But you're answering me at breakfast."

"Fine."

He opened the door for me, and I stepped into the hallway. I walked to the elevators and turned back to wave at him. "Thank you, Poe."

"Be careful out there, Hermione."

The elevator doors _bing_ -ed as they opened. I wrinkled my nose at him before I stepped inside. "Don't."

In a horrible British accent, I heard him call after me, "Or worse, EXPELLED."

"Right here is fine."

I handed the cab driver some cash and climbed out. I walked in the direction of the apartment building, the _clink_ of my stakes sounding like a metronome. The park was just across the street, and I felt the heat coming off of it in waves. My vampires must have run through the park after I scorched them.

I was coming up on the Met, just a few blocks from the apartment building I sought, when I stopped in my tracks. I looked at that mammoth of a building and blinked. Just above it circled the undulating, red cloud that marked my vampires' location. It was the middle of the night. What were they doing in a museum? Lights completely lit up the front of the building, and I noticed dark blots all across the steps. Bold of them to leave bodies on display like this, even if it was the middle of the night. I looked around for police or other humans, but if anyone else had seen this, they clearly did not want to get involved in any more vampire trouble and had kept moving.

I looked both ways down the street and jogged across. Security guards littered the otherwise pristine, white steps. I approached one of them and gently felt for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. The guards snored so deeply, I suspected compulsion. They were lucky.

I withdrew one of my stakes and walked toward the front doors, one of which had been propped open slightly. The wind picked up, and the red curtains hanging next to the entrance _snapped_ with movement. I glanced back toward the street, looking for other signs of life. Like the guards, I was also a noticeable dark blot standing against the well-lit backdrop of one of the world's most famous buildings. No biggie. I scanned the street below, but there was no one.

I took a deep breath and slipped through the door.

The Great Hall was dark, likely an orchestration of the vampires. I had planned to have the upper hand, attacking them in their apartment building while they licked their wounds, but this was not going to be that simple. The Met Museum was infinitely huge. It was likely I wouldn't even find them in this place tonight. When I first moved to New York, I came here with Kaydel and the Ticos, and I'd lost them for almost an hour after I dipped off into the European Sculpture wing.

I looked left and right and straight ahead, unsure which direction the vampires might have taken. I listened and heard nothing. I unsnapped one of the pockets on my pants and withdrew a sock. It was Finn's sock, and it was a little dirty, but I suspected he was the one they were after. The more I thought about that night, about the way they zeroed in on Poe, I realized they must have smelled Finn's scent all over him. I also wondered if they were on a mission to find Finn because they happened to work for his master. Who else would want Finn that badly, to send a team of militarized vampires out looking for him?

It was a just a guess, but I hoped a sock, albeit dirty and a little sweaty, might have the same effect on their senses and draw them out tonight. It was originally a backup plan, but in a building this large, I was going to need some help finding these vampires.

I turned in a circle and waved the sock around stupidly. To my left, toward the Greek and Roman art wing, I heard something shatter. I grimaced and hoped nothing important had been broken. Sock in one hand and stake in the other, I jogged toward the noise.

I found myself in the room with the sculptures, and I stopped short, my heart hammering in my chest. I'd seen this room with lights, but never in the dark. I saw shapes of bodies and arms and faces, but I couldn't discern anything else about them in the shadows. It crossed my mind that some of the forms I saw might not be sculptures at all.

I backed up until I felt a wall and planted myself against it. I was completely exposed with no upper hand now. I kicked the sock away from me, and I watched it slide away until it disappeared into shadow itself. I heard footsteps on the tile and froze.

A single light in the middle of the room _clunked_ on, buzzing slightly. I looked around, but I didn't see any movement beneath the light's glow.

"It's you."

I stared straight ahead and saw the lead vampire from the other night stepping toward me, out of the shadows. He was holding the sock in a gloved hand, and he stared at me with his teeth bared. Even in the dim light, I could see the deep scars my fire had etched across his face. Healing, but slowly and painfully from the looks of him. The rest of his body was completely covered in dark, black clothes. I noticed his boots were the same pair, because I could see the burn marks on them as well.

"Why are you looking for Finn?" I asked, stake aimed at his heart. I wouldn't miss again.

The other vampires moved in slowly, flanking around their leader. They each wore hoods drawn over their heads to shadow their faces. I expected they looked just as bad if not worse than their leader. Five wounded vampires, piece of cake. I wiggled the fingers on my free hand, ready to churn up more flames if I had to. It wasn't ideal, but I was prepared to drag myself down those steps out front if I had to.

"Tell me who wants him," I said.

The vampire stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "Do you realize who we are?"

"Glorified bloodhounds? Yeah, I got that."

"We are the Knights—"

"Vicrul," one of the others hissed.

"Silence, Cardo," Vicrul snarled back. He stepped toward me again, and I raised my stake. He stood still as his eyes focused on the point of my stake. His nostrils flared as he picked up on the scent of the rosewater.

"Tell me who is looking for Finn, and I'll consider letting you live," I said.

Vicrul laughed, his white teeth flashing in contrast against his reddened skin. "You are in no position to make demands." He stepped toward me again, putting himself a little too close to me.

I ripped a vial of rosewater off my hip, flipped the cap off with my thumb and tossed the entire vial onto Vicrul's face. His hands flew up to his face, and he roared in pain, staggering back. I stomped my right foot and swung my leg up and around until the iron blade connected with Vicrul's ribcage. I jerked my leg back, ripping the blade out of his flesh. He clutched at his wounded ribs and fell to his knees.

One of the vampires closest to him launched itself at me. I sunk down on one knee and braced my stake and at upward angle. The vampire landed right on it, impaling his own heart. His skin melted away as he howled. I pushed him onto his back and twisted the stake until I heard the sound of his heart bursting.

I heard footsteps behind me. I swung my right leg around and sliced the vampire's shins with the blade. The vampire growled and sunk down to pounce. I charged forward, withdrawing another stake and planting it into the vampire's chest. I backed him against the wall and drove the stake through his chest until it hit the wall behind him. He slumped to the ground, and I pulled another stake over my shoulder and braced for the next attack.

"Wait!" It was Cardo. He walked forward, out of the shadows, holding his hands up in what looked like surrender. "Please, wait." He removed his hood, and I was surprised to see a relatively young face underneath the burned flesh. His head was completely bald, the hair burned away by my fire. Compared to the other vampires, he was healing the best. I planted my feet and aimed my stake. That meant he was also the strongest right now.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said.

Another vampire walked forward out of the shadows, still wearing his hood.

"Stand down, Kuruk," Cardo said, holding out his arm to stop the other vampire from approaching me.

Kuruk scoffed, but pulled his hood back also. I stared at both of them, and then my eyes locked on their foreheads. Despite the burns, they both had dark, round marks on their foreheads. I narrowed my eyes. "You're the two who held me," I said through gritted teeth.

"Kill her," Vicrul growled from the floor, still cradling his burning face in his hands.

"You are in no position to make demands," I said to him.

I looked up at Cardo and Kuruk, and I slowly stepped to my left, toward Vicrul. They mirrored my movement so we circled each other until Vicrul was in between us. Kuruk's eyes flickered down to his leader, and then back up to me. He looked older than Cardo, closer to being middle aged. His face, underneath the burns, was hard and cold.

"We've lost three of our own and almost our lives because of you," Cardo said. "But maybe we can help each other here."

"Cardo," Kuruk snarled.

"We don't answer to him." Cardo stared at Kuruk; his jaw clenched. "Ap'lek, Trudgen, and Ushar are dead because of him."

"You can add Vicrul to that list," I said and took a step toward him. I kicked my right foot out, and the iron blade pierced Vicrul's leg. He yelled in pain. I jerked my foot back sharply and tapped the toe of the boot on the tile, tucking the blade away for now. "Now, who exactly is this 'he' again?"

"Some hunter you are," Vicrul spat. "Striking us when we are weakened."

"You seem to forget that I managed to barbeque your asses when you were at your strongest."

Vicrul dropped his hands from his face and curled his lips at me. The rosewater had marred his face more, and he was unrecognizable to me. I lifted my gaze and caught Kuruk grimacing as he looked down at Vicrul in pity.

"Like I said, tell me who's looking for my friend, and I will consider sparing your lives." I looked at Cardo.

Cardo sighed. "Killing us won't make a difference. Even if we all die, they will send others."

"I'm not leaving here without some answers. What are you doing here, in the Met?"

Kuruk stepped forward. "I've got a better one. How did you find us here?"

"She used magic, you idiot," Vicrul groaned.

I rolled my eyes. "As if the bodies outside on the steps weren't a big enough clue. Way to lay low, you guys."

"Wait a minute," Cardo interrupted, looking back and forth between Vicrul and Kuruk. "Who left bodies outside? You might as well have installed a flashing, neon sign—"

Glass shattered somewhere else in the museum, and a loud _thud_ echoed through the halls. Vicrul lifted his head slowly, craning his neck to see as much as he possibly could. His eyes flickered to me.

"Is that your back up?" he asked.

"No..." The three of them just stared at me. "Is it not yours?"

They shook their heads. Oh, great.

I peered into the shadows around us and looked for movement, but I didn't see anything. I didn't hear anything either except for all of us breathing. I felt my heart hammering in my chest. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind and focus.

"Kill her," Vicrul said. "Do it now while you have the chance."

"You want to make a bad situation worse?" Cardo asked.

"If he hears anything—"

"Shut up," I hissed. I listened for a moment longer. There was still no sound of anything or anyone approaching. I gripped my stake firmly and prepared to strike Vicrul's heart. I lifted it above my head, my shoulders tensing—

_Thud thud thud thud._

I whipped around to look behind me for the source of the sound. Then, a hot, searing pain spread across my ankle, and I cried out. I looked down and saw blood pooling from my ankle onto the ground. Vicrul had sliced through my boot and cut me with his nails. I dropped the stake from my hands, and it clattered to the floor. At the smell of my blood, all three vampires' eyes turned into inky black pools, their nostrils flaring and welcoming the scent. I tried to plant my feet again and steady myself, but my right leg already quivered in pain.

 _Thud thud thud thud_.

A dark figure brushed by me, the force of its movement knocking me off balance. I winced as my ankle rocked to the side. I stumbled sideways until I could brace myself against a wall. My eyes focused on the figure first, who loomed over Vicrul now.

It was a man. He wore boots not unlike mine, and he was also dressed in head-to-toe black. A scabbard hung from his belt, and he held an impossibly large sword in his right hand. In the dim light, I saw the jewels glinting on the hilt. I squinted my eyes, leaning in for a closer look.

My eyes slid upward, stopping at his shoulders. How could a person be so...large? He made the vampires seem like ants. I kept my eyes on the back of his head, on the long, dark wavy hair that grazed the tops of his shoulders. His head turned slightly then, toward me. It was enough for me to see the gentle slope of his nose.

"Hey," I said. "Who are—"

Vicrul's cry interrupted my question. The sword was lodged through his thigh. The man had moved so fast, I didn't even see him lift the sword. Vicrul's upper body wrenched forward, and he clutched his thigh as the man drove the sword deeper into his flesh. Cardo and Kuruk leapt back.

"You dare betray me?" the man asked. I felt the bass of his voice in my chest.

The only sound from Vicrul was the sound of his teeth grinding in pain. I remembered my own ankle then, and I shifted my weight to my other foot. The three vampires' eyes flickered toward my wound, their eyes dilating into black circles once more.

The man jerked the sword out of Vicrul's leg, and he slammed it down into Vicrul's stomach. He jerked the sword out again, and Vicrul gasped in pain. "You dare disobey me?"

I frowned. This guy had to be a hunter. The clothes, the sword that was obviously made of iron, judging by the way Vicrul reacted to it. Vampires couldn't wield iron weapons.

The man lifted the sword above his head.

"Master, please," Cardo said. He took a few steps forward. "Please."

I had a bad feeling about this. Master? This was not your typical hunter-vampire dynamic. None of this made sense, but I was not going to stick around and try to figure it out. I backed away slowly, feeling my way along the wall back toward the Great Hall. In another movement faster than a blink, the man sunk the sword into Vicrul's chest. Vicrul didn't even have time to cry out before he was dead. He coughed once, spitting up dark blood.

Cardo dropped to his knees, and Kuruk's eyes landed on me. He charged forward.

The man jerked the sword out of Vicrul's chest and swung at Kuruk. Kuruk danced away from the blade, trying to dodge around him to get to me.

"She's running away!" Kuruk snarled.

I could see the man's profile now as he turned to face Kuruk. He hissed violently, and his lips parted to reveal sharp, white fangs.

Not a hunter, NOT a hunter.

I turned and ran into the darkness of the museum, toward the Great Hall. My ankle dragged behind me. I was limping more than I was running, but I tried to keep my speed up despite the pain. I wasn't going to out run them, but if I could get ahead and hide, I could have a stake ready to pierce their flesh.

I bit my lip as I tried to sprint through the Great Hall. There was a tomb in the Egyptian wing. I knew it was a dead end in there, but it would provide me with cover and a lot of walls to brace myself against.

I saw the shape of the tomb, even in the darkness, and nearly threw myself inside of it. I limped around a few corners until I reached the end of it. I backed myself against the wall, and I pulled a stake over my head. I lifted my right foot off the ground. My ankle stung so badly that I felt my stomach starting to churn. I gripped the stake in my right hand and exhaled.

I kept my breaths quiet and listened, but the museum was silent. I strained to hear any sound at all. The sound of those heavy footsteps, hissing, bones crushing, Kuruk and Cardo's cries as their master slaughtered them, too — but, there was nothing. Five, ten minutes passed. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I saw the puddles of blood spaced out in front of me.

There was probably an entire trail of those puddles across the Great Hall that would lead the vampires straight here. I shrugged, telling myself it wasn't like they couldn't smell the blood. They were going to find me eventually.

_Thud thud thud thud._

My heart pounded in my chest, and I stupidly tried to cover it to muffle the sound. The beats were like a beacon, calling out to him and letting him know exactly where I was. The blood dripping down my ankle was just a bonus.

A shadow moved in front of me then, and my breath caught in my chest. I thrust my stake forward, but he caught it in his hands. He jerked the stake out of my grip and tossed it onto the ground.

I reached into my pockets, feeling around for rosewater. Large, warm hands circled around my wrists. Without thinking, I stomped my right foot down and cried in pain as I did so. I didn't even muster enough force to expose the blade before my ankle started burning. I clamped my teeth together and closed my eyes, but the tears still leaked out and streamed down my face.

He picked me up then, threading one arm beneath my back and the other beneath my knees. This tomb was a small space, and I prepared to have my head scraped down the walls because there was no way such a large person could walk straight out of here while carrying me. As though he heard my thoughts, he cradled my head against his shoulder as he side-stepped out of the tomb. I bristled at first, but the warm pressure of his hand against my skull relaxed me. His hand almost covered the entire back of my head. His thumb rested near the top of my head, and I felt his pinky laying against the soft spot above my neck.

I felt the start of a chill forming at the nape of my neck. A vampire was cradling me. He could fold me like an accordion before I even realized what was happening. He rubbed his thumb against my head, like he was trying to soothe me.

In a way, it worked. The warmth of him seemed to spread through my entire being, and I focused on that warmth soothing my ankle. It didn't really, because through the warmth, I still felt the burning and stinging pain, but I closed my eyes and tried to ignore it before my stomach could start flipping again.

I took a deep breath, and my eyes snapped open. He smelled like balsam and warm cedar, and it reminded me so suddenly of home. He smelled like the forest behind my childhood home, on morning walks with my mother. Like the tree farm during Christmastime. Like the trees lining the river where I learned to swim.

His arms tensed underneath me as he exited the tomb. His fingertips brushed across my face as I craned my neck to see if the other vampires were waiting outside the tomb. He turned my head back toward his chest.

"It's just us now," he said quietly. His deep voice hummed against my skin.

"Where are we going?"

He didn't answer me. Those footsteps — _thud thud thud thud_ — echoed all around as he walked through the Great Hall. He turned his body slightly to shoulder one of the doors open, and then he stepped out into the cold, night air. I shivered and kept my face turned toward him, away from the wind that was still blowing the large, red curtains. As he jogged down the steps, not jostling me at all, I looked up at his face now that there were lights around us.

My eyes traced the smooth planes of his face, followed the long line of his nose. His full lips were pressed together, and his eyes scanned side to side as he carried me down the steps. In this light, his eyes looked dark. They weren't dilated like the other vampires' eyes had been, but I wondered if the darkness was because I was still bleeding.

He looked down at me then, looking directly into my eyes. "You're safe."

He reached the bottom of the steps, and I heard car doors unlocking. I twisted my head again and saw a sleek, black truck parked across the street. He jogged across the street and opened the rear driver's side door. He slid me into the backseat, careful to lift my leg so that my wounded ankle didn't graze against anything.

Before I was all the way in the truck, I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wait. The blood."

"Do you have the salve with you?"

"Yes, but—"

His large hands patted down the outsides of my legs. He snapped open one of the pockets and removed the salve, popping the cap open. With his other hand, he quickly unlaced my boot. He looked up at me with those dark eyes, and I held my breath.

"Ready?" he asked me.

I nodded, and he removed the boot. I winced a little, but it he removed it so quickly I barely noticed any pain. He tossed the boot onto the floorboard, and then gently slipped my ripped sock off my foot. He tilted the open bottle of salve over his palm.

"Don't!" I tried to grab his wrist, but I couldn't reach it. "Don't, it will burn you."

He poured the salve into his palm anyway, and I heard it burning his skin. His hand grazed across the back of my ankle, and I instantly felt the warm relief of the salve working into the wound. My head lolled to the side, and I exhaled slowly. He rubbed my ankle slowly until the salve was completely applied, and then he tucked the bottle back into my pocket. Before he wiped his palm on my sock, I saw how burned it was. I frowned.

"Why did you do that?"

He looked up at me again with those eyes. "Do you feel better?"

"Yes. Thank you." I leaned forward. "Listen, who—"

His arm circled around my waist, and he pulled me out of the backseat. He carried me around to the other side of the truck and opened the passenger door. He set me down in the passenger seat and reached across me for the seat belt. Before he buckled me in, he slipped my quiver off my shoulder and tossed it onto the backseat.

"Hey—"

"You tried to stake me five minutes ago." His eyes flicked down to the other boot that was still on my foot. I sighed and reached down to unlace it. I slipped it off my foot and tossed it into the backseat. He removed his scabbard from his belt and placed it on top of my stakes.

"Is that supposed to make us even—" I started.

He closed the door, and before I could turn my head away from the window, the truck was cranked and he was in the driver's seat. He pressed a few buttons on the dash, and warm air circled around my feet. He pointed at a few buttons on my door. "Those are the seat warmers."

"Oh, thanks." I pressed them quickly until the settings were as high as they would go. I settled back into the leather seat and felt my muscles melting already. I felt that chill on my neck again, telling me not to get too comfortable, but I ignored it. He hadn't killed me yet, and he did save me. Sort of. One vampire's prey was another's...prey eventually? Maybe?

He mumbled something I couldn't hear and made a turn that would take us to the Upper West Side. I remembered how Cardo had called him 'master.' I narrowed my eyes and twisted in my seat until I faced him. "I've got some questions."

"I might have answers."

"Who are you? How do you know those guys?" A thought crept through my head about the vampire in the alley. This couldn't be the same vampire. He was much larger, not as skinny as the one who came looking for Finn that night. "And," I added, "what do they want with my friend?" A little bluff never hurt anybody, just ask Dameron.

"They are my knights. Were my knights. They lied to me." His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. "It is very upsetting."

"I see..." I did not want to be trapped in a small space with an angry vampire. Again, anyway. I changed the subject. "You didn't take my rosewater away from me."

He took his right hand off the steering wheel and let it land on top of my thigh, palm up. Any evidence of the burn was gone. His hand had already healed. I gingerly traced the lines of his palm, searching for any shred of evidence he'd ever been injured. His palm twitched underneath my touch, and then he moved to rest his right arm on the arm rest between us.

I ran through the possibilities in my head. He had to have some kind of enchantment. That, or he was really, really old. I thought about how he used an iron sword, and the possibility of enchantments seemed favorable. I glanced at him again. He said he had _knights_...Okay, maybe he was really old _and_ enchanted...

"Any other questions?" he asked me. His voice was so loud in this tiny space. He still drove with one hand, and his posture had relaxed. I decided to try again. "Why do your knights want my friend? They were looking for him the other night in the square—" I leaned back until my spine rested against the door. "Wait. Was that you? Are you—"

"No." He looked at me straight on, his eyes locked on mine.

"How do I know you're not lying?"

He looked back at the road. "You don't."

I sighed. "Fair."

"I did not order them to hunt or locate your friend. They accepted an assignment without telling me, under the direction of Vicrul."

"That explains a lot, actually. Are Cardo and Kuruk—"

"Speaking of dead knights," he said, glancing at me, "you are responsible for two of them."

"They tried to kill me. I was just doing my job." I stared at him. "It sounds like I did you a favor, anyway. Since they were going behind your back and everything." I saw the corner of his right eye twitch. I think I annoyed him. "Do you know who they were working for?"

He turned his face toward me, eyebrows raised. "You think I'm going to surrender another vampire to a hunter?"

"It seems like you would want this vampire dead so—"

Without looking at me, he waved his hand in front of my face. "No more questions."

I leaned back in my seat and stared through the windshield. I tried to ask another question, of course, but my throat felt tight. I couldn't even part my lips. I glared at him. He'd compelled me. I shook my head and crossed my arms.

He pulled into a parking garage and drove all the way to the back. He came to a stop in front of what looked like a garage door. As if on cue, the door lifted and revealed an elevator large enough for the truck. He drove forward into the elevator, and my jaw dropped. Rolling the window down, he pressed a button, and the garage door behind us closed. I felt the elevator lifting us up. I looked at him out of the corner of my eyes. Bruce Wayne didn't have shit on this guy.

The elevator stopped in front of another sleek door, which opened to what looked like a mostly normal, human garage. Exposed brick walls, a tool bench that looked more for show than actual use, an old fridge for beer and sodas and blood, probably.

He pulled the truck into the garage, and the garage door slid closed behind us. I heard the elevator as it hummed away to another floor. He turned off the truck, and before I could say anything, he was opening the passenger door and slipping his arms underneath me.

"Wait, my stakes and my boots." I reached my arm back to try and grab the stakes off the backseat. He lifted me out of the truck and closed the door.

I started to ask for my other sock, but the question lodged in my throat. I gritted my teeth and looked at my feet, one with a sock and one without. I rolled my eyes.

He leaned against a door and carried me over the threshold into his apartment. It was just as ridiculous and nice as his truck elevator. It looked like it was once many small apartments that had been turned into an entire home. I couldn't tell how high up we were, but something just told me this was the penthouse level. The ceiling was at least fifteen feet above us.

We stood in front of what could be considered a living room. It was a giant living room. There was enough square footage here to hold a small gala. The wall behind us was exposed brick, flowing in from the garage space. The other three walls were made up almost entirely of windows — nearly floor-to-ceiling, modern cathedral style. They were immaculate, framing the inky night sky beautifully.

The room was dark, except for a single lamp lit up next to the couch. From what I could tell, his furniture was mostly mid-century in style. He set me down on the low, gray couch.

He pointed a finger at me. "Don't move." He turned and jogged up the floating staircase that lined the brick wall.

I sighed and crossed my right leg over my left thigh. In the dim light from the lamp, I examined my wound. My ankle was stained with blood, but the wound was starting to seal itself. I reached into my pocket and removed my vial of salve, applying another layer to my ankle. I tried to roll my ankle a little bit but immediately stopped when it started stinging. I tucked the salve back into my pocket and leaned back against the couch.

A lot of people who knew me would be sick to see me this comfortable in a vampire's apartment, but I just couldn't rouse myself for another fight. I knew I felt too calm, and I didn't trust him with my life or anything, but something about the way he was helping me made me think he needed me alive, which definitely took some of the edge off.

It was freezing in his apartment, and the big ass windows did not help. I uncrossed my legs and tucked my right foot under my left, hoping my one sock would provide warmth for them both. I crossed my arms and tucked my hands into my armpits and noticed a slight twinge on the underside of my arms. The nail marks were almost healed, but they were still a little sore.

_Thud thud thud thud._

He was back, kneeling in front of the couch. He placed one palm underneath my calves and lifted my feet to rest on top of his thigh. He removed my sock. Before I could protest, he placed two warm, black socks on my feet. He rolled the tops down until they were as snug as possible, but they were still pretty roomy. I stared at him.

"I don't have any girl socks." His expression was almost apologetic.

"That's okay," I said, wiggling my toes in the too-large socks. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

My throat burned, and I swallowed the question that had started to form. He stood up and walked around to stand on the other side of the low coffee table. He folded his arms behind his back and stared at me.

"It's my turn," he said.

I lifted my chin slightly, sizing him up.

He smirked. "You are a hunter and a powerful witch."

I cocked an eyebrow. Powerful? Maybe I should've been doing fire spells all along. They seemed to be a huge hit with everybody.

"You work with the Resistance," he said.

So far, I noted, he had not asked me any questions. I didn't know exactly who he was yet, and if he wanted to know about The Resistance, well—

_I don't think you realize how this works._

I jerked to the left, shrinking away from the voice whispering in my right ear. I turned my head, but the space on the couch next to me was empty. He was still standing right in front of me.

 _You can't hide anything from me._ The voice spoke into my left ear now. I craned my neck away from it. If I could have asked him a question, it would have been, "Wanna bet?"

He stepped forward, his shins hitting the edge of the table.

_You know I can take whatever I want?_

This time, he spoke directly into my mind. I heard his voice in the very center of my mind, the deep bass of it echoing in the space between my ears. I felt it thrumming inside my chest like I had in the museum.

And then, I felt his presence in my mind, thumbing through each thought I'd ever had. I wondered; had he been doing that this whole time? Had he heard everything—

I gasped as he started to pull images from my mind. Images of Poe, Finn, Kaydel, Holdo, and the Ticos whipped through my mind's eye. Flashes of the Ticos hovering over the bowl, whispering to make the rosewater. Finn and Poe laughing in one memory, and then images of them standing back to back while they faced off with vampires in the next. Paige's vision replayed in my mind, and he drank it in. I watched as his eyes twitched when the cloaked figure appeared.

Something within me shifted, and I felt him going through my emotions. Echoes of my heartbeat drummed against my skull, echoes of adrenaline running through my veins. I felt again the fire coursing through my veins and then pouring out of me onto the vampires. The warm blood running down my arms, in the hands of Cardo and Kuruk. A hot, searing pain as Vicrul slashed my ankle open. And then, older, older memories of pain. My knee, skinned on the pavement when I fell off my bike. My rib, cracked by a vampire during my first hunt.

I felt another shift, and I felt warmth spreading across my chest, traveling up my neck onto my face. The peace I felt at home with the Ticos. The friendship and gratitude I felt when I hugged Finn. My relief when...No. No. I dug my nails into the couch and glared at him. He glared back at me and jerked his chin up, trying to break my control. I twisted my neck and frowned against the pressure of him. There were some people he would not take from me. I locked my jaw and forced the memory away. Forced every speck of that part of myself down, down into my mind where he could not go.

I felt him running back through my mind, sifting through other happy memories. I groaned when another face flashed inside my mind. A quick burst of joy colored the memories here, and then ugly, awful feelings took over. Everything in front of me disappeared, my vision going completely black. A great darkness clouded my mind and spread like ink through my body. I felt the acid from it churning in my stomach.

"Please, stop," I said, panting and blind. I didn't know where I was anymore. I felt like I was falling through a void of blackness that would never—

It was gone. The darkness was gone. I shook my head, and my vision returned. The vampire was sitting next to me now. One of his hands gripped the back of the couch, and the other was hovered just over my thighs. His warm, cedar scent flooded my nostrils, and I felt him moving through my mind once more. The images came slower now, almost floating from my head to his.

I felt him shift his weight closer to me, felt his breaths against my neck. I tried to turn my head to look at him, but I ended up hitting his forehead with my temple. He was so close to me. I relaxed, and then I understood.

In my mind's eye, it was him. The back of his head, his hand clutching the hilt of the sword, the memory of his scent when he carried me out of the museum, the look on his face right before he put the salve on my skin. Those big, dark eyes staring at me. The warmth of his hands on my skin—

I fell back against the couch, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of me. My mind felt suddenly empty, and I rubbed the sides of my head to soothe the ache of that empty feeling. After a moment, I looked up and found him standing on the other side of the coffee table once more. His hands were at his sides, his fingers tensed, and I could see his chest lifting and falling.

He twitched his fingers slightly, and I felt the compulsion break. My throat felt open again, and my lips parted in relief. I shook my head at him. "Who are you?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming soon! I'm shooting for at least one chapter bi-weekly! At least! <3


	4. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THHIIIIISSS TOOK SO LONG BUT IT'S HERE!!! I've decided that I'm going to focus on more frequent, shorter chapters instead of trying to hit 30K word chapters every 2 weeks. I think that will work well with my work schedule and my mental health lol 
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3 and let me know what you think!

My chest grew tight, and my nose stung with a sneeze. I tucked my head into my shoulder and sneezed. No snot, thank God. I pinched my nose and inhaled, and then I looked at him.

“Bless you,” he said.

“Who are you?” I asked again. I cleared my throat, feeling another sneeze in my chest.

“You have allergies?”

“You didn’t see that when you were in my head?” I shrugged. “Yeah, they get flared up sometimes when I’m near the park.”

“Are they purely environmental?”

I snorted. “I’m allergic to cats. Sometimes birds and hamsters. And the trees over here do not agree with my nose.” The corner of his mouth twitched, and I narrowed my eyes. I knew what he was going to say. Everyone always said it.

“You’re a witch, and you’re allergic to cats?”

“My lifestyle doesn’t allow for pets anyway.” I started to hold my breath—

“Don’t do that,” he said.

I turned my head towards my shoulder again, but when I sneezed, there was a soft cloth pressed gently against my face. I only saw him moving away from me as I grabbed the cloth between my fingers. “Thank you,” I said. “Are you going to tell me who you are or not? Since you know everything about me now.”

He was on the other side of the table again, arms crossed over his wide chest.

“Not everything.”

“What’s your name?”

“What’s yours?” He raised one, thick eyebrow at me.

“You just—”

His mouth pulled up into a small smile. “I want you to tell me.”

“Valencia,” I said.

“Kylo Ren.”

I frowned. “I’ve never heard of you.”

His lips twisted into an annoyed scowl, and then he let his face relax. “That _is_ the point.”

“I haven’t given up on the Bruce Wayne theory. Personally.”

“You have a Bruce Wayne theory?”

“You know you have an elevator for your truck, right?”

He chuckled.

I looked at him standing there, and watched the muscles in his arms relax as he laughed. As he smiled, his white teeth flashed between his lips, and the tips of his fangs were less prominent now that he wasn’t in combat. He ran his fingers through his dark waves. When he looked at me again, his stance had relaxed completely. He tucked his thumbs into his pockets, his broad shoulders sloping down comfortably.

He was the weirdest vampire I’d ever met.

He sensed — or _heard_ , probably — my confusion, and his posture straightened immediately. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m just wondering what happens now.”

Lines rippled across his forehead as he frowned. “I saved your life. You’re wounded, and you need to rest.”

“So are you…Are you going to eat me?”

His dark eyebrows shot up quickly, almost touching his hairline. “Eat you,” he repeated.

“Yeah, like…” I made the motion for fangs with my fingers. “I’m a hunter. You’re a vampire.” He just stared at me. I narrowed my eyes. “It’s like, our whole thing?”

“We’re enemies, you mean.”

“Exactly.”

“If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so in that tomb.” He glanced around. “Not my living room.”

“Why don’t we talk about that sword, by the way—”

“No,” he said, smile gone.

I huffed and looked away. We were silent for a few moments. I looked up at him again. “If you’re not going to eat me, then—”

“Drink,” he said. “We drink.”

“Oh, thank you very much, Professor Ren.”

He smirked, his humor restored. “You need to heal.” He held a cell phone up to his ear.

I leaned forward. “You have to take me back. I can’t be a missing person right now.”

He shook his head at me. He spoke quickly into the phone. I didn’t catch a single word of it. He slipped the phone back into his pocket. “You’re staying here.”

Images of Poe and Finn and the Ticos flashed through my mind again. If I stayed here and they tried to find me, it would be a death sentence.

“They won’t find you here,” he said.

“Look,” I said, “don’t drag this out. At least kill me while I’m on my feet.” I started to stand.

In one swift movement, he leapt over the table and towered over me. I sank back into the couch, edging my back against the cushions and craning my neck up to look at his face. His lips were pressed into a hard line.

“If I kill you, it will be because you have annoyed me so badly that I can no longer maintain my self-control.” His voice rumbled in my chest. “Which seems likely, I will admit.” I started to roll my eyes. His fingertips pressed into the side of my face, guiding my gaze back to his own. “I saved your life. You are not an enemy to me.”

My head swirled as I inhaled his scent. He was so close to me again; it was impossible to ignore. His fingertips left my face, and I felt the cold air rushing to replace the warmth. “Why did you save me?” He didn’t answer me, so I tried something else. “How can I trust you?”

He shrugged. “It’s up to you. You’re staying here, regardless.”

I groaned, and started to ask another question. He held up a hand to stop me.

“You’re anemic, first,” he said, frowning at me.

I felt my jaw drop.

“And second—”

“What does that even mean? Does that mean I stink?”

“ _And second_ ,” he repeated, “I don’t like carry-out.”

I scoffed. “Carry-out. Very funny.”

He smiled. His eyes flickered to the door that lead to the garage. A moment later, I heard the elevator moving. “A friend of mine is going to take care of you while I’m gone.”

“Wait. Where are you going?”

He started to stand. I grabbed onto his arm with both of my hands, pulling him back down to me. “At least give me my stakes.”

He frowned at me. “No.”

I reached around and touched the small of my back, noticing for the first time that my revolver was gone. “When did you take—?”

“You lost it on your way to the tomb. It’s in the truck with your other weapons.” He gently slid his arm out of my grasp. “Please try to rest.”

“Wait!”

The door to the garage closed behind him. I felt alone in the still, empty living room.

She entered the room moments later, gliding across the apartment until she stood in front of me. Her long, platinum hair hung loosely over her shoulders. She was a vision, inches taller than Kylo, probably even without the thick-soled boots she wore. Her dark jeans fit her long legs perfectly, and the hem of her gray T-shirt stopped just above her belly button. She smiled at me, and I watched the light glitter against her fangs, which were still elongated.

She pressed her lips into a smile, hiding them for me. She knelt down in front of me. Where Kylo’s scent reminded me of the forest, hers was like the sea. Soft and breezy, fresh, with just a hint of the sun.

“You must be hungry. Is it okay if I carry you?”

I looked at her frame, taller but slightly narrower than Kylo’s.

She snorted. “Don’t insult me!”

She scooped me up before I could protest. She carried me through the garage, bending slightly to hit a button with her elbow. The door slid open to reveal an elevator meant for people. And vampires, of course.

“Going down a few floors,” she told me. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She adjusted me so that she was cradling me in one arm while she took the call. I could have melted. Who were these vampires? I hadn’t heard of Kylo Ren, okay, but who was _this_ magnificent being? I watched her light pink lips dance as she spoke into the phone. “Yes, the entire apartment please. All four floors. Every inch of carpet, please. That’s what he told me. Right. Oh…Well, that too. Make sure it’s gone. Thank you.” She ended the call and held me in both arms again.

“Is he having his apartment cleaned because of me? I do smell, don’t I?”

Like Kylo, her presence was oddly comforting to me. Maybe I’d hit my head on the tomb’s walls after all. What else could explain how drawn I felt to two vampires in a row? It was against everything I knew, against everything I’d been taught. In my defense, _she_ was magical, and I felt a strong desire to either kiss her or be her. That would require more thought.

Her light blue eyes scanned my face as she smiled. “Smell bad, is that what you mean? Definitely not.” She wrinkled her nose. “Well, a bit like rose, but that can’t be helped. I enjoyed that smell when I was a girl. Heavenly.” She sighed.

“So why—”

“Nothing to worry about. You met him. He’s weird.” She smiled again as the doors opened. We stepped into another apartment. This one was more standard in size. Just a one bedroom with normal windows. Barely furnished, barely decorated. It looked like a floor model. She sat me on the kitchen counter. She took out her phone again.

“Are you a vegetarian or anything?” she asked me.

“Can we order Shake Shack?”

She grinned, her fangs neatly recessed now. “Excellent choice.” She punched in our orders on her phone, and then she held her hand out to me. “I’m Phasma, by the way.”

We shook. “Valencia.”

She nodded her head toward the bedroom door. “I have some clothes in there for you. We’ll eat, and then you can get cleaned up and relax.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Captain’s orders.” Her blue eyes slid over me. “And my own curiosity. You put down some powerful vampires.”

“Were they your friends?”

She snorted. “They were bastards. Betrayers. Good riddance.” She reached across and lightly punched my shoulder. “I told him to let you handle the last two, but I think he wants to take care of them himself.”

“Ren?”

“Ren, yes.” She smiled.

I felt my admiration for her twisting into something else. A new, cold feeling pooled in the center of my chest. “How long have you been with him?”

“I came here in…nineteen eighty-three, I think? He owned a dance club back then, and I’d heard of him from other vampires. I joined his ranks, and now…” She spread out her arms. “Thanks to his worthless knights, I might be a general now.” She winked at me.

I frowned. “Wait. His ranks?”

“Vampires have a hierarchy, you know that. We use military terms for fun, really, but we all have a place in our covens.”

“So, you’re not his girlfriend or—”

Her bright blue eyes widened. “I told you he’s weird, remember?”

I laughed, the cold pool in my chest starting to warm up again. Definitely hit my head somehow. Was that really _jealously_ I’d felt? I prayed she couldn’t read minds as well as he did. I watched her face squirm as she considered the idea of him, and then laughed again when she wrinkled her nose. I didn’t seem to be on her radar. Phew.

“No, no,” she said, laughing with me. “I respect him, though. I haven’t left his coven since I arrived.”

“He seems nice.”

“Have you known any vampires?” She cocked her head at me. “You’re very comfortable.”

“You two are the only vampires I’ve talked to for any length of time. Well, and Vicrul.”

She nodded. “Usually just stake us and get it over with?”

“Can’t waste a second.” I looked at her. “Neither of you seem eager to kill me either.”

“I can’t speak for Kylo, but you fascinate me. All that power.” Her eyes slid over me again. “I can feel it coming off of you, even now.”

“And the anemia, we can’t forget that.”

She rolled her eyes. “He told you?”

“Yep.”

“It’s like a party trick for him. And he doesn’t get to use it often, as you can imagine.”

We laughed, and then I saw her head twitch toward the floor.

“Food’s here,” she said. She blurred as she skipped to the door. “Stay here, please.”

I saluted her from my place on the counter.

When she returned, we ate burgers and the best crinkle fries I’d ever had. I didn’t realize how dehydrated I was, and after three sodas, Phasma handed me a water bottle from the fridge. When I was finished eating, she gestured to the bedroom door.

“Everything you need is in there. I remembered all the basics. You’re lucky I became a vampire recently. Some of the older ones forget about toilet paper and tooth brushes.” She shuddered. “Let me know if you need anything.” She glided toward the couch and sank down on to it, clicking on the TV. She folded her long legs underneath her.

I slid down from the counter and put weight on my wounded ankle. It felt stronger now as I walked toward the bedroom. Phasma waved at me from the couch as I closed the bedroom door behind me.

The bedroom was just as simple as the rest of the apartment, with an elegant touch of clear glass, floor-to-ceiling windows. There were clean, white walls and crisp bedsheets. The bedframe, nightstand, and dresser were all natural-looking (fake) wood. I smiled as I ran my fingers over the dresser drawers, wondering which vampire decorator was superstitious enough to avoid wooden furniture.

There were three huge duffle bags on the bed. The first had fresh pajamas and lounge clothes inside of it. The second one was packed with every possible toiletry I could need. The third contained clothes like my own. Black pants, T-shirts, jeans. A pair of bladeless boots and some sneakers. Thoughtful.

I slung the bag of toiletries over my shoulder and walked into the bathroom. There was no tub, only a shower, but it would do. I started the water and waited for it to be hot enough to turn my skin red. I took the vial of salve out of my pocket and poured some onto the shower floor. The steam lifted the scent of rose up into the air, filling the glass shower in a cloud. I removed my clothing gingerly, trying to avoid any scrapes and bruises, and then I stepped into the warm flow of water.

When I walked back into the main room, Phasma was in the exact same position she’d been in before. She had not so much as moved a strand of her hair. She looked at me and smiled. The movement caught me off guard; she’d been so still. I blinked a few times before I could speak.

“You should sleep,” she said. “I won’t be leaving you.”

I stifled a yawn. “I’d like to talk to him again.”

She shook her head. “He won’t be back until the evening.”

I frowned. “The sunlight thing is a myth.”

She grinned. “Yes, I know. That’s just when he said he would be back.”

“Can I make a phone call?”

Her smile disappeared. “No.”

I glanced at the window, wondering how many stories up this apartment was. Perhaps she’d packed enough leggings for me to tie together and scale the building. As anxious as I was to see him and talk to him again, I was not going to wait around for Ren. I needed to take back control of this situation.

“I wouldn’t,” she said.

“Wouldn’t what?”

“The scent of your determination is strong.”

I stared at her. “You’re not serious.”

She snorted. “No, but it’s all over your face.” She leaned forward. “Trust me, Valencia. You do not want to step outside of Ren’s light. It’s best that you’re in it for now.”

“I thought I did everyone a favor,” I said.

She nodded. “You’re still a hunter. Not everyone’s as progressive as Ren and me.”

I waited a few moments. “So, about his sword—”

“Time for bed,” she said, leaning back into the cushions.

I sighed and walked back into the bedroom, closing the door behind me. I leaned against it when it clicked, sliding down to the floor. I turned my head toward the windows, complete with their distant view of the darkness that was Central Park in the middle of the night. I thought about Poe and Finn waking up in a few hours, wondering what happened to me. I’d burdened Poe with my lies and secrets, and now I would be missing. Untraceable. I thought about the Ticos then, and Raphi, worried about the rising tensions between hunters and witches. They would try to trace my energy signature, but I felt the power in these walls. Ren was friends with at least one other witch. They wouldn’t be able to see me in this building, not with the powerful enchantment I felt surrounding it. I thought about Holdo and Del, and how this could be what ruined every opportunity I had with the Resistance. That last part didn’t sting as much as I’d thought it would. The Resistance was an organization, just like the witches and the vampires and every other group of creatures. There was no one group that had it all. That’s what people like me hoped to change.

I crawled over to the bed, half-standing to roll myself onto it. The blankets were soft but heavy, and I felt my eyes closing swiftly as the bed’s warmth surrounded my skin. The heat wrapped itself around my wounded ankle, brushed against my cuts and scrapes. I turned my body toward the windows. My eyelids drifted to a close like curtains, blocking out the bright lights from the city beyond.

When I woke, the cool amber of the afternoon sun had already passed over the Upper West Side. I could see the final rays of orange on the other side of the park. I sat up and slowly moved my leg toward me to look at my ankle. It was discolored, but the wound had completely healed. I smoothed a layer of salve over it to help with the color, and then I rolled out of the bed.

I had slept like a rock, so my hair was not the tangled mess I was used to upon waking. I brushed it gently, using water to smooth some of the frizzy curls. I brushed my teeth and dug through the duffle bags while I did so, searching for a bra and socks. I replaced my toothbrush and washed my face. I swiped on a few layers of mascara and lightly pinched my cheeks, feeling silly as I did it. Imagine a gazelle putting on makeup for a cheetah.

I finished getting dressed, opting for black jeans and a gray T-shirt. I tucked my jeans into the bladeless boots, and then I shrugged on a black and green flannel because it was too comfortable-looking not to wear. I checked myself in the mirror and nodded. Phasma had great taste for someone who chose these clothes without even seeing me first.

When I opened the bedroom door, balsam and cedar welcomed me in a rush. I felt the scent warm and deep in my lungs. I scanned the room and saw him leaning against kitchen counter. He spun his keys around his index finger.

“Wanna go for a ride?”

“Are you taking me home?”

“No.” He stopped spinning his keys and held up a plastic tumbler and a paper bag. “But I have food. And green tea.”

He must have seen about green tea when he was thumbing through my mind. I don’t know how he had time to peruse my favorite beverages in the midst of everything else. “Thanks.” I glanced toward the couch, but Phasma was gone. “How long have you been here?”

“Maybe an hour.”

I shifted my stance. “Where’s Phasma?”

He lowered the green tea and the paper bag. “Will you come with me or do I have to make you?”

My eyes pulsed a little wider.

He held out the tea and the bag to me. “Come on.”

I sighed and stepped forward, reaching up to take them from him. I opened the bag and saw two warm croissants. I drank the tea, enjoying the sweetness of it. “Thanks, really. I’m surprised you remembered I have to eat. Like, actually eat.”

He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t, actually. Phasma texted me.” He held the front door open for me, and we walked toward the elevator. We rode in silence up to his garage. I took a bite of the first croissant as the doors slid open. I started to walk around the truck, but he beat me there. He opened the door.

I climbed into the truck, and he was sitting down in the driver seat before I had my seatbelt fastened. I twisted around to look at the back seat. No sight of my stakes or other weapons.

“You won’t need them,” he said. He stretched his long arm over, resting his hand on my headrest as he backed into the elevator. I stared directly at his chest and admired how wide it looked even though it was twisted. I blinked, and he was facing forward again. I hadn’t even seen him move.

The elevator began to descend gently. “How did you sleep?” he asked.

“Nicely. Is that apartment yours too?”

He angled his face toward me. “The whole building is mine.”

I nodded. “Somehow, that makes sense.”

The elevator door opened, and he drove out through the parking garage and into the busy New York City streets. I breathed a sigh of relief as I finished my croissant. Being in that high rise felt like I was on another planet. I felt safer being out in the world again, knowing my friends were just a park, skip, and a bridge away. I leaned my head against the window, craning my neck to watch the other tall buildings disappear into the evening clouds.

“Valencia.”

I turned my head to look at him. “Yes, Ren?”

He made an odd noise. I wasn’t sure if it was a laugh or a scoff. “You’re going to help me tonight.”

“Oh?”

“It’s something you want, too.”

I stared at him. “The sire.”

Ren nodded.

“So, you’re going to let me kill him?”

He pulled the truck into a parallel parking space in front of a half-constructed apartment building. “Not quite.”

“Oh, come on.”

He was already opening the door for me, reaching across my lap to unbuckle my seatbelt. He took my tea from me and put it in the cupholder. I stepped down out of the truck and followed him into the building. The lobby was almost complete, just a few plastic sheets covering the walls and the mantle for the doormen. I felt the enchantments leaking from the structure of this building, too, and it wasn’t even finished being built. We stepped into an elevator that took us up to an empty floor. The framework was still exposed, and the floor was still a slab of concrete. Plastic sheets and tarps hung all around.

He stepped out of the elevator and walked forward. I followed after him. He stepped to the side, holding one of the tarps aside for me. I stepped through the opening and gasped. I recognized the scent right away. It overpowered everything else, despite the dark blood that stained the floor and some of the tarps. Harsh wind blew across the space from the windowless framework looking out over the city, stirring the scent around even more. It was the vampire from the alley. Finn’s sire.

He knelt on the floor, between Cardo and Kuruk. His auburn hair was dark with sweat and blood. Blood dripped from his mouth into a puddle at his knees. He looked up at me and snarled, his blood-stained teeth and fangs almost black. Kuruk reached out and sliced the vampire’s cheek with a blade of iron. The vampire hissed in pain, cradling his burning cheek in his hands. I couldn’t believe it, and then I saw the thick gloves Kuruk wore.

“This is Armitage,” Ren said. “One of my generals, formerly, and the sire you’ve been searching for.”

“And the one responsible for Times Square,” I said. Ren nodded, and Cardo and Kuruk hefted Armitage up onto his feet. They shoved him forward, lifting his shirt to reveal the tattoo. A crescent moon crossed by a rose. I held out my hand. “Stakes, please.”

“No, I want him alive. He began a mutiny against me, after all.” Ren bared his teeth.

Armitage spat, sending blood splattering across the concrete. “You’re a liar!”

Ren made a lazy gesture with his hand, and Kuruk scraped the iron blade across Armitage’s shoulders next. Armitage growled in pain, twisting down to the floor. Ren clasped his hands behind his back and looked at me. “You’re going to break the bond between them. You’re going to undo it.”

I stared at him. “I can’t do that alone. That requires a lot of power I don’t have.”

“Yet,” he said.

“What are you talking about?”

He nodded toward Armitage. “General Hux is your ticket to freedom. You will stay with me until you are strong enough to destroy his bond with his familiar.” Ren’s eyes swept over his general’s broken form. “Perhaps when he is no longer jaded, he will be of better service to me.”

Armitage spat again, weakly this time.

“Or,” Ren continued, “I will kill him.”

“Why don’t you just do that now?” I asked. “Then we both get what we want. The bond will be broken, and you’ll be rid of a traitor.”

“I want him to suffer,” Ren hissed through gritted teeth, his dark eyes shifting into an even darker, lightless shade. I felt the hairs on my arms stand up, and the chill continued up my spine. I moved away from him.

“Do you realize how long it will take me to accomplish a spell like that alone?”

He looked at me. “Yes, I do.”

“You can’t keep me that long! There is a war going on, you know? I have to be out there, helping—”

“Helping who?” Ren asked. “The Resistance? The Resistance, who would kill you the moment they found out the truth about you? And your friends, the Ticos?” He raised a dark eyebrow. “And what of your brother, Raphi? Or Poe, who helped keep your secret?”

I felt my jaw clench. He knew so much, and I knew so little. It was maddening.

“Don’t even mention the witches,” he said, stepping closer. He leaned over me, staring into me with those dark eyes. “Calista, burning with envy at your potential, you think she’d help you?” I stared back, hoping I was burning an even bigger hole into _his_ skull. “You will stay here until you can accomplish the spell. I will not return you to a war where both sides want you dead.” He turned to Cardo and Kuruk. “Take him below. Do not leave him unguarded.”

I opened my mouth, but he waved a hand, and I felt my teeth lock together. He’d compelled me to be quiet. Again. I spun wildly, tearing through the tarps until I saw the elevator. I stepped in and pressed the buttons for the lobby. I punched the elevator wall angrily, feeling the sting in my fist as soon as I did it. When I stepped out of the elevator, he was already in the lobby, waiting for me.

I glared at him. I glanced around the room for an exposed piece of iron or anything heavy enough to stun him. He waved his hand again, and I felt my teeth lift from their hold. “I can’t _believe_ you.”

“I couldn’t let you say too much in front of Armitage. The less he knows about what’s going on—”

“No. I mean it literally. I can’t believe you.” I shook my head. “I don’t know anything about you, but you want me to stay with you, with no communication to or from my friends or anyone who’s important to me. I don’t know anything about you, and what I do know doesn’t make sense.”

He sighed. “Let’s get in the truck.”

“No, I want to—”

I felt my body go rigid. I was cradled in his arms again, and he was walking to the truck. He held me with one arm as he opened the door and slid me into the seat. He started to buckle me in, but I shoved his arm away. “I can do it!”

The truck started, and he pulled away from the parking space and back into the street. “I don’t want you to be upset. Please drink your tea, and I will answer your questions.”

“Bullshit,” I said.

“Drink your tea.”

“Tell me about the sword.”

He picked up the tea and held it above my lap. I took the cup, but I did not drink it.

“Fine,” I said. “You don’t wanna answer my questions? Okay. When does the talking candlestick show up? I’ll ask him.”

He stared at me, dark eyebrows shooting up toward his hairline. “Talking candlestick?”

“Yeah. Lumiere.”

He pinched the bridge of his fantastic nose.

“Better yet, which part of the penthouse is the West Wing, exactly?”

“I understand the metaphor, Valencia, but you hardly think I’m a beast.”

I sat back in my seat. I shoved the green tea back into the cupholder and stared out the window. As much as he intrigued me, I did not like a vampire reading my mind and terrorizing me with the realities of all my thoughts.

“You are right about the sword. It is enchanted. I wouldn’t be able to wield it otherwise.” I felt him staring at me. “That is all I will say about the sword.”

“Will you let me into your mind?” I asked. “All I need is patchouli.”

“Ask your questions, and I will answer.”

He made a turn, taking us back toward the Upper West Side. “When were you born? I’m getting a very strong fifteen ninety-two vibe.”

“They didn’t exactly keep track of things like that where I was born, but it was roughly seventeen eighty-three.”

I stared straight ahead. It was as I expected — a very old, very strong vampire with an enchanted weapon. “Well, that crosses out the Bruce Wayne theory.”

He laughed. “Old money, you could say.”

“So, you were around my age then,” I said. “When you were turned?”

“How old are you?”

“You mean you don’t already know?”

“I skipped over it. I was more interested in the green tea bit.”

I rolled my eyes. “Twenty-six.”

He scoffed. “So young.”

“Yes, an embryo compared to you.” He was rolling his eyes now. “We can’t all be in our two hundred and thirties,” I continued. “I do have more questions, but I also have some requests.”

“Requests?” he raised a brow.

“Yes.” I took one last look out the car window before the truck dipped into the darkness of the parking garage, headed for the elevator. “I would like a bowl.”

“I have dishes,” he said. “They’re a little dusty, but—” The elevator door closed, carrying the truck up and up.

“No, like a big bowl. For witchy things.”

“Oh, like a cauldron?”

I ignored him. “How do you expect me to practice my skills without tools?”

“Anything else?”

“You’ll have to get materials for me, or let me get them myself. I need roses, patchouli, and Solomon’s Seed at least.”

“I told you,” he said, “that I would answer your questions.”

I waved a hand at him. The elevator door opened, and he pulled the truck into the garage. He cut the ignition and stared at me. “The patchouli isn’t for you. It’s for me.” He waited. “That’s my next request. No more mind reading.”

My door opened. I unbuckled my seatbelt and slid out of the truck. I followed him into his apartment, finding myself in awe of the cathedral windows once again. He walked until he reached the couch, and then he sat down.

“I’ll get you the Solomon’s Seed and the roses.”

“But—”

He held up a hand, not compelling me, just stopping me. “I don’t know you well enough to let go of your mind.”

“Please explain to me again what exactly is in this for me? Yes, you’re going to let me sever the connection between your general and my friend, but what else? How exactly am I winning here? You won’t even let me have the privacy of my own thoughts.”

“That’s enough.”

“That’s _enough_?” I hissed. I turned away from him, heading for the stairs. “Is the West Wing this way? When will the coffee table start singing to me—”

Before my foot touched the first step, he was there, backing me off the staircase. He stepped toward me aggressively, his long fingers brushing my neck as his hand formed a half circle around my throat. I felt the panic deep in my bones, years of training screaming at me to look for a weapon, to improvise. I stared up at him and watched his dark eyes go matte with anger. His full lips pulled back in a snarl, fangs glinting in the dim light of the living room.

“Is this what you want?” I felt the thrum of his voice in my chest.

I stayed completely still apart from the rapid rising and falling of my shallow breathing. Never mind the fangs, he could snap my neck with his hand at any moment. I’d been foolish to let a vampire get this close to me, to let myself be so comfortable in one’s presence—

“And here I’d thought you’d lost your instincts.” His voice was like a purr, but I did not falter. I stared into his eyes while my mind chanted _vampire vampire vampire vampire…_ “Fear is what keeps you alive, Valencia. Listen to it.” He pulled his hand away from my neck, his fingertips brushing the skin at the base of my throat as he did so.

“I will not be your prisoner,” I said quietly.

He considered this. “You’re my guest.”

Was that what he thought?

“However,” he continued, “if you are set on being a prisoner, that can be arranged.”

“Guest will do.”

He nodded. “Dinner?” He brushed by me and flicked on the lights in the kitchen. He opened the large steel fridge and began placing various food items on the counter. “I picked up some of everything.” He moved to the pantry and removed boxes of pasta and cans of soup. He looked up at me. _Toxic ass_ , I thought.

Then, I tried to picture him eating human food, and I couldn’t grasp the image.

“I will not be eating this,” he clarified.

“Why not? Phasma eats.”

“Phasma is younger. She’ll realize one day that consuming food is just…a habit.”

I looked toward the fridge suspiciously.

“I drank this afternoon, before I came to get you.”

My eyes slid back toward him.

“Does that bother you?”

“I guess it can’t,” I said, sighing. His eyes narrowed, and I held up a hand in warning. “Do not give me another ‘You should be afraid of me speech’ or I swear to God—”

“You’ll kick my toxic ass?” he guessed. He slid a can of soup toward me. “It’s tomato. Your favorite.”

I sighed. “You got any croutons?”


	5. Olympus

**PART I – POE**

Poe Dameron slammed his fist against the Ticos' door three times. Valencia never came back to the apartment, and Kaydel said she never showed up at the base, either. He gripped Valencia's data pad in his other hand, which was useless even before it went dead, as he swung his fist at the door again.

Paige opened the door, looking annoyed. "What the hell, Dameron?"

"Is she here?"

Paige's eyes narrowed, and then she closed her eyes and frowned, realizing.

"Welcome to the club. Where was she going?"

"To the vampires."

"Of course she was."

Rose appeared behind Paige, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

Paige sighed. "Valencia went after the vampires alone, and she hasn't come back."

Rose's face blanched.

"Finn and I hoped she would be here, sleeping or something." Poe sighed. "Did she tell you anything?"

"The vampires were at the Met. That's where we were supposed to go tonight."

Poe looked at his watch. "It's 6:37 now. Can we be ready to rock and roll at 7:30?"

"What are we going to do?" Paige asked. "If she went to them last night, they'll be long gone. Whether..."

"Yeah," Poe agreed. "But it's a start."

"Do you have your gear with you?" Paige asked.

Poe nodded. "Locked and loaded, baby."

She smiled. "Come on in. We'll get ready."

Poe walked into their apartment, the smell of rose surrounding him with warmth. He plopped onto the couch. "Hey, Ticos?"

The sisters turned and looked at him.

He waved a finger between them. "You're witches, too, aren't you?"

They didn't even flinch when they stared at him, feigning confusion.

"I tricked Valencia into blowing her cover, so—"

Rose glared at him. "Are you serious, Dameron?"

"Who else knows?"

Poe grinned. "Damn, I'm good."

Paige stared at the floor. Rose jabbed a finger in Poe's direction. "You'd better keep your mouth shut, Dameron. You realize we—"

"I know, I know. I'm on your side. Finn is the only other one who knows. We guessed."

"Guessed," Paige said.

"The constant aroma of rose really doesn't help your case." He shrugged. "Plus, now that everything's out in the open, I figure you guys can conjure up something to track her without having to be sneaky around me."

Paige nodded. "We'll get right on that."

"Holdo was right about you," Rose said. She shook her head, and then marched into her bedroom. Paige followed her. The door slammed closed behind them.

Poe frowned. "Hey!" he called out. "What did she say?"

When the Ticos emerged from Rose's room an hour and a half later, they shook their heads. It didn't work. "We can trace her as far as the steps, and then everything disappears as soon as she steps inside the building. We don't even know if she ever...left..." Paige blinked rapidly.

"We know Valencia. She's tough. She's smart."

"I don't think they killed her," Paige said. "I feel like...I feel like I would know."

"We have to go there." Rose slung her bag of stakes over her shoulder. "It's the only way to know for sure."

"What are we waiting for?" Poe stood, and then reached into his pocket for his own data pad to check for any messages. There were none.

"Is Finn coming?"

Poe winced, replacing his data pad in his pocket. "Finn doesn't know about this part yet."

"The part that Valencia's missing?"

"Last thing I told him was that I was going to come check here before I panicked. He's out on patrols with Rey. Why worry him?"

Rose scoffed. "What happens when we don't come back either?"

"Whoa," Paige and Poe said together, staring at her.

"Hater," Poe said.

"Valencia is one of the best, and if she couldn't get out of there, what makes you think we can?" Rose's hands curled into fists. Her eyes watered.

"If you want to stay behind—" Paige offered.

"No! I'm just...I hate vampires."

Poe walked toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You may wanna rethink your career here with the Resistance."

Rose started to snarl her rebuttal, but Paige stepped in between them. "We don't have time to unpack all of that right now. Are we going to help our friend or not?"

The Met had closed for the evening by the time the trio reached it. They stood across the street, sizing it up. The outside was glorious and white, hardly threatening. It was what potentially lurked within that gave them all pause.

Poe knew of a maintenance entrance they could use. Rose considered this. "But," she said, "this place is so big. How do we know where she went first or even ended up?"

A cool chill swept across their necks. Poe immediately withdrew a revolver, and Paige drew a stake in each hand. Rose closed her eyes and whispered an incantation over a vial of rosewater.

Poe's eyes focused on a dark figure standing about thirty feet away. They wore a hood over their head.

"Get ready, girls," Poe muttered.

"I'm not here to hurt you," the figure called out. It was a masculine voice. Pleasant. Young. "But you won't find her."

"Let me get my hands on this guy," Poe said through gritted teeth. "We'll make him talk."

The figure reached up and lowered the hood. Poe could see the scars clearly, the way they whipped and curled across the vampire's skull.

"He's one of them," Poe said. "One of the ones she almost killed."

"Where is she?" Paige hissed.

"I told you," the vampire said. "You won't find her."

He took one step and suddenly, he was within ten feet of them. Rose's whisper fell silent. Paige and Poe tensed. "Don't look for her. She's alive. Be satisfied with that and go."

"Where is she?" Poe echoed Paige.

The vampire's eyes flicked down and to the left, almost as if he'd heard someone call him from behind, but there was no one there. No one that could be seen, anyway. "Please," he said, looking into each of their eyes. "This is much bigger than the three of you can hope to handle."

"Yeah? What about the entire Resistance?" Poe challenged him.

The vampire frowned at him, not unkindly. "Your Resistance will not help save a witch. Don't come to Manhattan again."

Before any of them could respond, the vampire was gone in another chilly breeze. Poe relaxed and let go of the breath he'd be holding. "Don't come to Manhattan," he repeated. "Who does this guy think he is?"

"It's not who he is," Rose said. "It's whoever he works for."

"You know, they probably do have great benefits."

"Be serious, Dameron." Paige rolled her eyes. "Rose is right. The vampire is right. This is bigger than us."

Poe started to reply, but Paige held up a hand to stop him. "I know you can't see or feel them, Poe, but the enchantments on the Met and all around this area are strong. Something big is going on here."

"Yeah, no shit!" Poe said. "It's that coven, with the tattoos."

"I need to contact Raphi. Maybe he'll know something."

"Do we really have to get everyone involved?" Poe asked.

"He's her brother," Rose said. "You heard the vampire. We'd be stupid to do this alone."

"We need more info." Poe tapped his foot while he thought. "Hey," he said. "Can't you guys track that guy? You did before."

"It won't be easy without Valencia. But we can try." Paige shrugged. "That's not a bad idea, Poe."

"Why do you need her?" he asked. "More power?"

Paige shook her head. "No, it's just that she was there. She had contact with them."

Poe gestured to himself. "Hi. Mangled wrist here. It's still bandaged and everything."

"That's not a bad idea at all," Paige said, grinning.

"Well, let's get back to the apartment and start working." Rose jutted her chin in the direction the vampire had gone. "We'll find him."

"And his little friends, too," Poe added.

**PART II – VALENCIA**

I dumped a handful of croutons into my soup and stirred them around. He stood across from me, on the other side of the island counter, watching me. "What?" I asked. "You've never seen soup before?"

"Are you sure that's enough to eat? You have another croissant."

"This is fine for now. I am a breakfast person, though. You have breakfast food, right?"

"Are you a vegan?"

"No."

"In that case, I have eggs and toast and butter. I actually know how to make eggs. Like, any style."

I smirked. "Did Phasma teach you that?"

"Yes. But I'm better at it than her."

I sank my spoon into the soup and lifted it back to my mouth. I sipped at it slowly while it cooled. "So, where are you off to tonight?"

"Nowhere."

I stared at him. "Nowhere? You're staying here?"

He slunk away from the counter, turning his back to me. He opened a few cabinets until he found the glasses. He went back to the fridge and filled it with water. He placed the cup down in front of me, but he did not look at me. Instead, he focused on the food items he'd taken out for me and started putting them away.

"You're more comfortable with Phasma," he said.

"She didn't try to strangle me."

I thought that would make him mad or annoy him, but he froze as soon as the words left my mouth. I wasn't sure how to read that.

"I'll call her," he said. "All of your things are here, so you can stay here with her."

"All of my things?"

He pulled out his phone.

"No," I said. "Don't. Don't call her."

He finally looked at me. His dark eyes scanned over my face. He was looking for something; I don't know what.

"No, you were right the first time to want me to go," he said. But, he put his phone away.

"I never said I wanted you to go. I just thought you'd have...something to do."

"Not tonight." His voice was like velvet.

I suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious about my tomato soup. It felt so mundane to be eating while he...well, while he existed in the same room with me. I saw his eyes twitch, and I knew he'd sensed my thoughts again. I guess I'd just have to get used to that.

"I don't know what to do with you," he admitted.

It was an incredibly vulnerable statement from an old, all-powerful vampire. I tried not to let that go to my head, but it was too late.

"Finish your soup," he said. "I want to show you something."

"Can I ask some more questions?"

He sighed. "Yes."

"Who's your favorite band?"

"Queen."

I smiled around my spoon. "Of course it is."

He rolled his eyes. "And yours?"

I shrugged, dumping another handful of croutons into the soup.

"You have more croutons than soup in there."

"I know," I said. "That's how I like it." I sighed and rifled through my mental file of favorite music.

"Oh," he said, reaching it before I even could. "Not a band. A person. Lana Del Rey."

"Yeah, she's—"

"I know her."

My spoon _clinked_ as I dropped it into the bowl. "Know her how?"

He smiled. "Oh, you didn't realize?"

" _Holy shit_."

He laughed. "It's how she manages to have that old, sort of reminiscent tune." He leaned across the counter. "She's had a lot of time to perfect it."  
Recovering, I picked up my spoon again. "It explains so much." I looked up at him. "Freddie Mercury?"

"Angel. Not vampire," he said.

"Are those the only two options?"

His black eyes met mine. "Maybe."

His breath smelled like the rest of him, cool and crisp like the forests of my home. I let my eyes quickly wander over the outline of his lips. An image flashed through my mind, then. Those same lips, curled back in a snarl while his hand tightened on my throat. I felt myself stop breathing. My gaze slid upward along his face until our eyes met again.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" he asked.

You know those theme park rides where your stomach feels like it's in your chest?

"To your room," he clarified. "You can begin your training tomorrow, and I want to make sure you have plenty of rest."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea." I slid my bowl toward him.

He ran water in it, and then he walked toward the stairs. _Thud thud thud_. His steps were so heavy, even without his boots on. "You can come up here now."

I followed him up the stairs. "So, the West Wing is not this way?"

He laughed quietly. "No."

We passed a closed door on the first level after the stairs, and then another on the second level. "What are those rooms?"

"Bedrooms. The first one is mine."

"Really? Not the highest one?"

He shrugged. "This apartment is high enough itself."

On the third level, there was a library. I strayed into the center of it, admiring the sleek shelves double and triple-stacked with books. Some of the books were simply bound parchment paper. I ran my fingers across the spines carefully and wondered if he'd read all of them throughout his lifetime. I was surprised to see a few spell books and guides tucked between copies of _The Princess Bride_ and _Things Fall Apart._

"No Dewey Decimal system here, I see." I smiled at him.

He scrunched his nose. "I prefer the used bookstore approach. A little whimsy, a little never-know-what-you'll-find."

My fingertips brushed over a copy of a spell book. He was next to me then, the warmth of his arm brushing gently against my shoulder. He removed the book from the shelf and handed it to me.

"Take it. It might be helpful."

"Where did you get it?"

"It was a gift. You live long enough, and you acquire all kinds of things."

I cradled the book against my chest. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I felt his hand hovering a few inches away from my back, as if to guide me back to the stairs without physically touching me. "Use the library as much as you'd like."

"Can I also sit in the big leather chair over there?" I admired how soft and worn the chair looked, nestled in the corner of the room beneath the warm glow of an old lamp.

He smiled. "Sure."

We continued up the stairs to the fourth level, passing another bedroom. Finally, we reached the fifth level, where the stairs ended. He stepped out of my way and gestured for me to go ahead. There was a door at the end of the hall. It was propped open slightly and warm, amber light spilled out into the hallway.

"Like I said, everything you should need is here." He glanced anxiously in the direction of the room. "If anything is missing, please let me know."

"Shall I think it or speak it?"

"Whichever makes you more comfortable."

"Well...thank you."

He nodded at me. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at the screen and frowned. "I'll let you get settled." He walked by me at a normal pace, and then he was gone before his foot touched down on the first stair.

I sighed and walked down the hall toward the room. I pushed the door open gently and couldn't help but feel a trill of shock when I looked at the room. It was the master suite in a million-dollar penthouse, but I was still taken aback at how lovely it was.

The wall to my right was one solid window that overlooked the park, not unlike the cathedral windows downstairs. This window had a long, sheer curtain which was drawn back to allow for a view of the city lights. I removed my shoes and left them in the hall. Then, I stepped into the room and felt my feet sink into the plush, gray carpet. I walked over to the window and resisted the urge to press my hands and face against it as I looked down down down upon the city. I said a silent prayer that I would get to see this room on a cloudy day. It would feel like I was living on Olympus, surrounded by clouds.

I turned away from the window and took in the large bed. It was a modern canopy bed with a sleek black frame. The comforter and pillows were all crisp white, and they looked completely new. The fresh linen scent of the bed filled the room. Underneath it, I sensed another scent that was quickly becoming familiar to me, and I realized that this _was_ his room. He'd put me up here and moved downstairs. I stewed on that for a moment, and then I decided to investigate the rest of the space.

I opened the massive walk-in closet and saw my duffle bag sitting on a chaise in the center of the room. The bag was empty; my clothes and shoes had been organized and hung up. That had to be Phasma's doing. If his clothes had been in here, they were gone now, except for a few T-shirts in the back corner of the room. There were a few Queen shirts, and I stopped touching them as soon as I realized they probably didn't come from Hot Topic.

This place was like a museum.

I grabbed some pajamas before I closed the closet door behind me. I threw them across the bed and wandered over to a door that led outside. I opened it and stepped out onto a large terrace. There was an outdoor heater, a few pieces of furniture, and a small garden area. The library was nice, but this might be the reading spot for me. I allowed myself a grin before I stepped back inside.

I grabbed my pajamas off the bed and made my way to the bathroom. I figured it would be large and marbled, nothing I hadn't seen before. In pictures, anyway.

I was wrong.

The bathroom was large and marbled, but it had clearly been reworked to suit me. In the center of the room was a rose quartz soaking tub. It was more than a tub, really. It was the size of a small pool. A showerhead hung down from the ceiling above the tub, and I could still see the faint lines of where a shower had been. When did he have time to do this?

I felt the energy of the quartz singing to me, and my body felt relaxed just being this close to it. It was a tub yes, but I could use this for enchantments, rosewater, and other elements of the craft, too. I opened some of the cabinets nearby and found them fully stocked with various herbs and roots. Except for Solomon's Seed, of course. And there were no roses.

I found the switch to the shower and ran it as hot as it would go. There were new, clean towels on the counter as well as all the necessary toiletries. I grabbed body wash, shampoo, and what was left of my vial of rosewater. I drizzled the rosewater over the water in the tub.

Before I got in, I ran back out through the bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway. "Thank you," I said. I knew he would hear. "I'm going to have more questions tomorrow, though."

"You're welcome," his voice boomed from downstairs. I could hear the smile in it. "Goodnight, Valencia."

"Goodnight, Kylo."

I slipped back into the bedroom and closed the door.

As I soaked in the tub, I tried to rationalize all of the thoughts flooding my brain. I had training, I had instincts. He was right that fear definitely kept me alive in most situations, too. I had to be cautious, careful. He saved my life and gave me a tub, but could I really trust him and his intentions? What would happen after I got strong and broke the bond between Hux and Finn? Would he command me forever, or would I truly be allowed to leave?

Then, I thought further. If he did let me go...what then? How could I raise a stake against this vampire...against this man...who saved me...? And then, almost worse, what if he went away, and our paths never crossed again?

My thoughts slipped into a tender, quiet place as I tried to make sense of it all. He was attractive to me, but not just physically. No, there was something about his scent, about his presence. His soul. It was something so familiar to me, so comforting. I'd always seen vampires as creatures and liars until I saw him in the museum. Until he'd carried me and gently held my ankle. He was so unlike anything I expected.

I stayed in the tub until the water started to feel cold against my skin. I couldn't escape the train of thought that lead to images of him killing me, or me killing him. I heard my parents and Raphi in my head, echoes from all the years of training and practice telling me what I didn't want to hear. Kylo Ren himself reminding me that fear is what kept me alive.

I stood up and started to dry off. The tub drained quietly around my legs and feet. I rolled my shoulders as I looked at myself in the mirror, and I felt truly restored. My focus solidified on the Resistance, and on breaking the bond between Finn and his sire. I owed that to my friend. At best, perhaps an agreement could be reached between the Resistance and Kylo's coven. That's the ending I would hope for.

The bed was like a cloud. I still tossed and turned, wondering if he ever slept in here or if furniture was just another habit. I thought about the witch — or warlock — who placed the enchantments all around him and everywhere he went. I wondered if they were still alive, or if they were someone he knew long, long ago.

I fell asleep thinking about Kylo Ren.

**PART III – KYLO**

I slipped down the stairs quickly, out of her sight in between blinks. I wanted nothing more than to follow her into that room, to see her eyes brighten with approval as I hoped they would. She'd been mine for barely twenty-four hours, but I was drawn to her in a way I couldn't exactly articulate. I imagined it had something to do with her formidable power and strength, not unlike my own. That was what drew us to each other. She sensed it in me as well, but as I'd heard in her thoughts, she had a difficult time explaining the magnetism, too.

It was a distraction of course, for both of us. The message from Cardo annoyed me, but it brought me back down to earth. I stood in the center of the living room and paced while the phone rang.

"Master Ren," he answered.

"They were at the Met?"

"They are looking for her."

"They're going to try and track you, just like she did. Do not come near me or her, or any of us. Is that understood?"

"Do you want me to leave the city?"

I'd already considered all of the options. My first instinct was to kill her friends myself before they could get in my way. I realized quickly that solution would not work if I wanted to keep Valencia close to me. Cardo could leave, take them on a chase around the world, but I knew the witches would be too smart for that. The boy, on the other hand...

"Master?"

"Do not leave the city. Let them find you."

"And then?"

"Remind them what a vampire is."

Cardo did not reply.

"I sense your unease, Cardo."

"I do not want to face Valencia again, Master. Her wrath—"

"You can remind them without killing or hurting them."

"Understood."

He asked me something else, but I was no longer listening. Valencia was in my closet, and she was touching my shirts. Her mind welcomed me so easily, and her thoughts were so _loud_ —

"Master Ren."

"Yes?"

"What about Hux?"

"Kuruk and Phasma can handle him."

I ended the call then, already shifting my focus back into Valencia's mind. It was an invasion of her privacy, but it was one that I could not let go of just yet. Not until I understood her more. She was grateful for the tub, and I felt a speck of joy in my chest. Good. The tub was Phasma's suggestion, but the rose quartz was my idea. I was strong enough to withstand it being in the same home as me, so why not?

I smiled when I sensed her disappointment about the Solomon's Seed. I would let her protect her mind eventually, when I felt more secure about her intentions. My heartbeat sped up a little when I saw my face in her head, and I heard her small voice, calling down to me from upstairs.

"Thank you." A pause, and then, "I'm going to have more questions tomorrow, though."

I smiled again. "You're welcome," I called up to her. "Goodnight, Valencia."

"Goodnight, Kylo."

I sank down onto the couch and stretched my legs out in front of me. Her scent surrounded me, still lingering on the cushions from her first night here. I settled back against the cushions and turned on the television to distract myself. I left her to be alone with her thoughts, even though I could hear my name echoing clearly in her head until she fell asleep.


	6. Drink You In

I woke up the next morning and ran to look out the windows. It was a foggy morning, so instead of the clouds I hoped for, I was greeted by a solid, gray wall. I did a cycle of stretches in front of the windows, feeling happy to be back on a normal sleep schedule.

In the bathroom, I fixed my hair and assessed my ankle. Perfectly healed now and completely mobile. I dressed in black leggings and a comfortable gray T-shirt Phasma had selected for me. I would have to really thank her the next time I saw her.

_Knock. Knock._

I set my hairbrush down slowly on the counter and walked out into the bedroom. “It’s open,” I called.

The door opened gently, and there was Kylo. He wore white socks, black joggers, and a deep green hoodie. His dark hair waved around his face, curling a little at the base of his jaw.

He leaned against the door frame. He did not set one foot into the actual room.

“Do you have to be invited?” I asked, smiling.

“Are you ready to eat?” He smiled back, the lines around his mouth crinkling.

“Definitely.”

We walked down the stairs together, and his arm brushed against mine the whole way down. I felt a little chilly as we stepped into the living room, where the windows welcomed the cold from outside with ease.

He turned suddenly, towering over me. I craned my neck to look up at him.

“Did Phasma get you anything warm?” His eyebrows lifted in annoyance, but I could tell it wasn’t directed at me.

“She did. I didn’t think about it with the windows—”

He was gone.

“Kylo—”

He was back, holding a zipper jacket and a pair of socks from my closet. “It gets cold down here, even for me.”

I slipped on the jacket and the socks. “Thank you.” I climbed up into the chair I had sat in the night before.

He dropped a few slices of bread into a toaster, and then he took a craton of eggs out of the fridge. “You strike me as a scrambled person.”

I nodded. “You got me.”

He cracked three eggs over a pan. When the toast popped up, I stood up to get it. He handed me a plate from a cabinet that was too high for me.

“Is it okay if I open the fridge?” I asked.

He snorted. “Yes.”

“Well, you never know how people feel about that.” I opened it and took out the butter. I looked around for something to drink and settled on a bottled green tea.

“The refrigerator might as well be yours. It was empty before you got here.” I saw him grimace out of the corner of my eye.

“Empty you say?”

“Mostly empty.”

I closed the fridge and wondered where he’d moved the blood bags to now. I gave him another glace out of the corner of my eye while I spread some butter onto the toast. “Is that the only way you drink?”

He was suddenly acutely focused on the eggs.

“It won’t bother me. Your answer.”

He grumbled, but did not give me an actual response. That was fine. I’d get in that head one day.

He sighed and looked at me. He’d heard that bit. I gave him a cheesy grin.

“I used to hunt,” he said, salt and peppering the eggs while he spoke. “I did that for about a century after I was turned, and then I struggled for a few decades, before modern medicine. Now that I’m older…” He shrugged. “I like the stability of a blood bag. Hunting can be…unpredictable nowadays.”

“That makes sense.” I held out my plate so he could scoop the eggs onto it. “Don’t you want some?”

“I’ll eat some of the toast. Eggs are too spongey for me.”

We sat down at the island counter side by side, but turned toward each other. He was so tall that his feet were firmly planted on the floor even though he was sitting. I sat crossed legged in my chair and tried to not feel so short.

I opened the green tea and took a sip. “Do you have any tea packets?”

“I can ask Phasma to bring some.”

“Is she coming by?”

“Just for a little while. I’m going to have her watch over things while I’m here with you.”

“If you have things you need to do—”

He waved his hand and took a bite of his toast.

“So,” I said. “You said hunting is unpredictable. Is that because more people actually want to be vampires now?”

Kylo laughed. “Yes, actually. It wasn’t a big problem until _The Lost Boys_.” He took another bite of toast, and then covered his mouth so he could still talk. “Oh, and _Interview with the Vampire_.”

“There have always been vampire movies though, right? _Dracula_ ’s been done quite a bit.”

He groaned. “That reminds me. _Bram Stoker’s Dracula._ The 90s are where my problems began.”

I wondered if I was included in that. “There was _Buffy_ too.”

He looked down at me. “Have you seen _Buffy_?”

“No, I’ve just heard about it.”

“Some slayer you are,” he said.

“I’ve never seen any of these.”

“You’re kidding.”

I took another bite of eggs and shrugged. “Where I come from, sexy vampire media is propaganda.”

Kylo scoffed. “It’s propaganda no matter where you come from.”

“I do like that title, though. Slayer.”

“I always did, too.” He cleared his throat. “You know, before they moved away from it. What kind of tea did you want?”

“Raspberry, please.”

“You got it,” he said, typing into his phone. He took another massive bite of his toast, finishing it. He glanced down at my plate. “Finish your eggs. You need your strength.”

“When I was a lad, I ate four dozen eggs…”

He turned his face completely toward mine and gave me an unimpressed expression. “You’ve been here for a day, and you’re starting to give me a complex about the similarities.”

I scooped the last few pieces of egg onto my fork. “And I haven’t even mentioned the library.” I grinned. “But, speaking of staying strong…”

“Yes…?” He took my empty plate, and then he stood up to go wash it and the rest of the dishes.

“I know I need to work on my magic, but I don’t want to lose my edge. Do you think you can train with me? Or maybe Cardo and Kuruk can—”

“No,” he said suddenly. “I can help you. You’ll have to make do with mock weapons, though.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you.” I held out my hand across the counter.

He glanced over his shoulder. “I wouldn’t give you the chance.”

“You can use your sword if you feel like you need extra protection.”

His shoulders stiffened. I’d offended his sensibilities.

“Come on, I’m willing to shake on it.” He turned around, drying his hands on a dish towel. I waggled my hand over the counter.

“Mock weapons,” he said. “I’ll shake to that.”

I lowered my hand. “How about this: mock weapons, _and_ you let me hold your sword.”

He slung the dish towel over his shoulder and grinned, leaning back on the counter. “Take me to dinner first.”

I smacked my forehead. “You are two hundred and thirty-seven.”

He stepped forward and held out his hand to me. “This is my final offer. I take time out of my day to help you, and you use mock weapons that I select for you.” He sighed. “And maybe I’ll let you _look_ at the sword.” He looked at me and laughed. “And you can ask some questions about it.”

We shook hands. His hand perfectly consumed mine, and neither of us let go after a few shakes. We stood completely still now, with our arms stretched over the countertop. I stared up at him as the pulse in his palm beat against my own.

“Kylo?”

“I’m just listening,” he said quietly.

He lowered my hand slowly, letting his knuckles graze the countertop before he let go. The countertop seemed especially cold without his skin touching mine.

“You should get to work,” he said. “I’ll come get you when it’s time for lunch.”

“Right,” I said. I turned and jogged up the stairs. When I reached the second floor, I leaned over the railing.

He was already sitting on the couch with a book, facing away from me, but he tilted his head back and said, “Yes?”

“Let’s have the lobster for lunch, Alfred.”

“Of course, Master Wayne.” He made a shoo-ing motion with his hand.

I finished jogging up the stairs to my room. I opened the door and inhaled, enjoying the forest and linen scent that filled my lungs. I used the herbs in the cabinet to brew a draught for strength in my modest, rose quartz pool. I waved my hand in a lazy circle so it could mix while I looked over the spell book Kylo had given me.

It was old but well bound. I felt the energy all around it and between every page. This had been a well-used and loved spell book. I wondered again who gave this to him as I gently stroked the book’s spine.

“Perhaps you will tell me…” I turned it over and pressed my thumb against the pages to open it—

The book snapped shut. _No_ , it seemed to hiss.

I closed my eyes and placed my free palm over the cover. I pressed my fingers into the worn fabric and hummed deep in my chest. The magic rolled off the book and vibrated against my fingertips. I told it that it could trust me, that he said I could read it.

_Very well,_ it sighed.

The book fell open to its very center page. I waved my hand, the pages folding under my command until I was back at the beginning. There was an inscription in a language I didn’t recognize, and the handwriting looked sort-of feminine, but it was aged and hard to tell for sure. I ran my fingers over the rough letters, and the book seemed to shudder at my touch.

I wanted a spell for looking into the mind without Solomon’s Seed. I turned a few pages and huffed. All of the pages had scrambled their letters and the book was now written completely in French. I knew a few witches who spoke French.

The letters shifted around again and this time, the book was written in the same language as the inscription.

I lowered my hand and let the draught swirl slowly on its own. I held the book up and stared at it some more. He had to know it was enchanted and moody. I wondered if that was why he gave it to me, if he was hoping I could read it or figure out a way to. I glanced down at the book and shrugged.

“Could you please translate yourself into English, since you speak it so well?” I asked it.

_No_. Its answer rang loud and clear in my head.

“Well, aren’t you lovely.” I set the book down on the tile and stood up. I would look at it later after I’d had a few sips of my draught. I inhaled the sweet aroma of it and smiled. This one was always my favorite to brew.

I heard a sound like a small gust, and I looked down at the tile. The book had opened itself up again, to a page in the back. I picked the book up off the ground, surprised to see it had actually bothered to translate this page into English for me.

I read the spell, and then I snorted. It was a resurrection spell, but not the life and death kind. It was to reunite a soul with a body, to end a possession.

“Are you trying to tell me something?”

_Obviously._

“I don’t think I—”

The book snapped itself shut. When I opened it back up, the page wasn’t even there anymore. Delightful. I carried the book into the bedroom and set it on the nightstand. I patted it gently, letting it know we had plenty of time to get used to one another.

_Knock, knock._

I jumped and effectively hit my toe on the nightstand. “Shit!”

The door swung open. “Are you all right? I should have made more noise coming up here.” Kylo stood at the threshold, his dark eyes wide with panic.

“It’s fine,” I groaned. “Someone’s gotta keep me on my toes. Ha.” His right arm was tucked behind him. “What do you have?”

He brought his arm around to reveal a five-quart, smoky quartz bowl. It was huge, but of course he simply palmed it as he presented it to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t think of this. I didn’t realize you’d been drinking out of—” He tripped over his own words and gestured in the direction of the bathroom. “Anyway, I couldn’t stand that, so I had Phasma stop by a crystal shop on her way here.” He stared at me. “I hope that’s okay.” He held the bowl out to me and turned it a little. “It was either this or amethyst, and I don’t really know anything about amethyst, but it seemed a little common.” I walked toward him and held out my arms for the bowl. He drew it back toward himself. “Where would you like it?”

I turned around slowly, and then I walked toward the large window facing the park. “Right here. This is perfect.”

He set it down gently. “Do you need a little table for it?”

“No, this is fine.”

“What about the…I mean, is this type of quartz okay?”

I sat down on the floor, crossing my legs. I patted the empty carpet next to me. “Sit.”

He sat down and mimicked my pose, folding his long legs over themselves. I reached forward and took his hand. I guided his fingertips along the edge of the bowl, and then I pressed his palm against the side. I could feel him staring at me, so I looked at him.

I watched his pupils expand and flood his eyes with darkness as he stared back at me. I felt my cheeks getting warm, but I didn’t take my eyes off of him.

“Do you feel that?” I asked.

“It feels warm. It feels like it’s moving beneath my hand.”

I reached up slowly, letting my hands hover a few inches away from his face.

He became very still. His eyes seemed to burn a hole into my own.

I placed my hands against either side of his head. I kept my fingers flat over his ears, resisting the urge to curl them into his dark brown waves. I slid my thumbs over his eyelids until they closed.

“And now?” I asked.

His chest expanded and compressed as he took a breath. His lips parted, and then he flinched. He grabbed both of my wrists and lowered my hands so he could open his eyes. He looked at me for a moment, and then he stared at the bowl.

“I haven’t felt like that in a long time.” He sighed and looked at me. “I felt…relaxed. Calm.” He smiled in a small, sheepish way. He stared down at the bowl again, tracing the lines of it with his eyes.

His thumbs traced tiny, absent-minded circles on my wrists.

I took a deep breath. “Smoky quartz is excellent for calming anxieties. It also promotes healing, and sometimes it can help alleviate sadness.”

“I felt a little human again,” he said quietly.

“You still are, you know.”

His fingers tightened around my wrists for a moment. I saw him glace in my direction, and then he turned his head toward me. His eyes moved across my face again. He held my gaze for a moment, and then his eyes dropped down to my mouth.

“How?” he asked.

“You’re gentle.” I exhaled. I couldn’t say the rest. I tried to make it light. “And you eat toast for breakfast.” He smiled, and I watched the lines around his mouth crinkle together for the second time that day. I wiggled my right wrist out of his hand so I could touch the corner of his mouth where the lines began. “And this,” I said. “Your smile.”

He was still holding my left wrist, and he pulled me in closer, pressing my palm until it laid flat against his chest. His heartbeat was slow, but it was there. I stared at my hand on his chest and reveled in the warmth coming off his skin, spreading to my own.

I felt his chin brush against my forehead. “Valencia?”

I lifted my face toward his. His lips grazed across my eyebrow, the side of my nose. I felt his eyelashes brush across my cheek.

I caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were dark, inky pools and focused entirely on me. He let go of my other wrist and cupped the left side of my neck with his hand, his fingers wrapping around to touch the nape of my neck. I don’t know who moved first, me or him, but—

His lips pressed against mine, and I felt my own part in surprise at the softness of his mouth. He groaned and kissed me deeper, his arm circling around me to pull me closer—

“She doesn’t hate it, does she?”

Phasma’s voice was like an alarm. Kylo leaned away from me, and I fell forward onto the floor as a result. I caught myself and jerked my head up. He was standing at the threshold again, leaning on the frame with his hands in his pockets like nothing had happened. The only thing that gave him away was the rise and fall of his chest, still a little too fast for a vampire. He looked at me once, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“It’s perfect,” he called over his shoulder.

“Yes! Valencia, in the future—” Phasma’s voice got closer with every word, and I could tell she was coming up the stairs. I sat back on my heels and brushed my hair out of my face. “—do you think you could recommend a crystal shop for me? This one was a little weird.” Her grinning face appeared next to Kylo’s. She giggled. “And that’s coming from a vampire.”

I grinned back. She was barefoot and stood inches taller than him. “I love it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She rested her elbow on Kylo’s shoulder, and he shot a dark glance at her. “Your tea is downstairs.” She inhaled. “Something smells divine in here. I can’t believe he was going to have you drinking out of your own tub.”

Kylo frowned. “It was an oversight. I had a lot to do in a little time.”

“Mm-hmm.” Phasma nodded. “Valencia, I also brought you some of those cozy, fuzzy socks because apparently—”

“Phasma,” Kylo muttered.

She winked at me. I stood up and gestured to the closet. “Thank you for everything you’ve already put together for me. I love the clothes.”

“I’m glad.” She beamed. “Well, we’ll get out of your hair. Let you get back to your witchy things.” She dipped out of the room, and then I saw her long fingers curl over Kylo’s shoulder. “C’mon, Ren.”

He brushed her hand away. “Supreme Leader.” He took a step toward me and cleared his throat. “Are you sure your toe’s okay?”

My jaw popped open. I gave him a bewildered stare. “My _toe_?”

“What happened to her toe?” Phasma’s head popped back in the doorway. “Valencia, you can come stay with me if this house of horrors is too much.”

Kylo backed into her and spread his arms out to keep her from coming back in the room. “Let me know if anything with that changes.” He gave me the tiniest smile of acknowledgement before he shut the door. I could hear Phasma griping at him for a few more seconds, and then their voices disappeared.

I exhaled a frustrated puff of air, and then my lips pressed together again. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of thinking about anything. I was going to go drink my draught and practice my magic. I heard my teeth grinding and sighed. At least men, even the vampiric ones, were consistent. When I passed by the spell book, it was opened to a page with a spell to ward off male energies.

“Thanks for looking out,” I told it.

The corner of the page lifted slightly, as if to say, _Well, do you want this?_

“Not yet.”

The book slammed itself shut so hard that it fell onto the floor. I picked it up and laid it on the bed. I was a little sorry to have offended it again.

About an hour later, I’d finished two cups of my draught and decided to go downstairs. Kylo was gone, but Phasma was waiting for me in the living room. “He had to go handle some official business, but I made us little sandwiches.”

I plopped down next to her on the couch, and she handed me my plate. “Thanks. He said he was going to let you handle things for a little bit.”

She rolled her eyes. “We’ll see how that goes. He’s promoted me to commander, but I’ve yet to do any commander-y things.”

“Have you been to see Hux?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m staying away from that for now. The boys can handle it.”

“I have a spell that’ll make Hux comatose. I could—”

“He won’t have that,” Phasma said, grinning.

I frowned.

“Ren,” she said. “He’s perfectly content to keep you tucked away in this tower. No offense.”

I sighed. “He’s going to have to let me out sometime.”

“You’re a coveted witch you know. A lot of people and creatures are looking for you.”

“That’s…halfway comforting.” Then, I dropped my sandwich back on the plate. “Wait. Did you say people?”

Phasma sat up, her back solid as a rail. “I think I heard the garage door.”

“Phasma, don’t you dare—”

She slid her blue eyes over to meet mine. “Forget it,” she said.

Kylo stepped into the living room. “Oh, hello.”

“Hi,” we said.

He looked at me. “You should be practicing.”

I flicked my index finger at him and grinned while I watched a little bolt of static strike his neck. _Zap zap!_

He clapped a hand over his neck and frowned.

“I wish I could do magic,” Phasma sighed. She stood up and took our plates to the kitchen. “Shall I go, then?”

“Yes,” Kylo said. “Thank you. I expect a report this evening.”

His back was to her, but she clicked her heels and gave him a salute. She waved at me before she danced out the door. I heard the hum of the elevator, and then the apartment was silent again.

I stood up, and Kylo’s eyes met mine. I gave him a casual albeit lame smile, and then I headed for the stairs. No thoughts. Just magic.

“Valencia?”

I turned on the stairs. “Yes, Supreme Leader?”

His left eyebrow ticked upwards. “That’s—You don’t have to call me that.”

“It’s a lofty title.”

His eyebrow relaxed. “Just vampire things.”

“Did you need something?” I felt odd being so stiff, but I didn’t want to think about earlier and get anything wrong—

“I know you’re powerful. You’re like me.” He looked up at me. “Power like ours makes other people uncomfortable. Because they can’t control us.”

“You heard Phasma.”

“Of course I did.”

“They’re my friends. I fell off the face of the earth, and they’re just trying to find me.”

He moved, and then he was standing just a few stairs down from me. “They’re not the only ones looking.” He sighed. “I can sense your emotions, and your thoughts when I’m listening. I know this is…I know you feel trapped.”

“You’ve made everything incredibly nice for me,” I said. “But it would also be nice to go outside.”  
He grimaced. “Let me get the report from Phasma, but I can’t make any promises. Your safety is the most important thing to me now.”

I hated this conversation. I wanted to talk about earlier. I wanted to know what he was thinking. I wanted to—

“Neither of us can afford to be vulnerable.” He walked up the stairs toward me. He leaned down so that his face hovered just inches from mine. “I want nothing more than to drink you in and let myself—” He pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. “We can’t.”

“We can’t, or we shouldn’t?” I breathed.

“I want to understand just as much as you do. I want to be able to explain it…”

“Well.” I pressed my forehead into his playfully. “It’s a relief to know the anemia won’t be an issue.”

He pulled away from me, frowning. “What?”

“You said ‘drink.’ You want to drink me in.”

He shook his head, briefly clutching at his collar. Then, he reached out, and his long fingers wrapped around my forearm. “No,” he said. “No, not like that. I meant something more spiritual. I want to know you.”

“Then know me.” I went up on my tip-toes.

His lips brushed mine gently, fleetingly, and then he turned his face so that my kiss firmly landed on the line of his jaw. His hand moved to my back as he pulled me closer to his chest. His chin rocked against my head as he spoke. “If anything were to happen—if anything went wrong…”

Did he mean me?

“Yes,” he answered. “You. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if I lost you.”

I curled my fingers around the fabric of his shirt. “Will you come see the bowl later?”

“Valencia—”

“I think I can help you.” I kept my head tucked under his chin, content to stay there as long as he let me. “I can help you let go of your pain.”

His body shuddered against mine.

The longer we stood there, the more he started to feel like a statue, which I had not anticipated. I supposed that was a vampire thing. His body solidified like stone, and his chest ceased to move. I felt his heart beating against my ear, but I didn’t feel his breath moving across my hair anymore. My legs and arms felt tired, and my back felt a little sore where he kept me locked into place against him. I was grateful for his warmth. It made being locked in his marble hold a little easier.

“Kylo?” I rolled my shoulders as much as his arms would allow.

His chest rose and fell again, and he sighed. “Thank you for wanting to help me. I can’t face it right now.” He leaned down again and pressed his lips against my forehead. “Maybe another time.”

“You need my help,” I told him.

“I do,” he said, lips moving against my hairline.

I decided to let it rest. I moved away, backing up the stairs. “I’m here when you’re ready.” I let my gaze linger on his mouth, his cheekbones, his hair, his eyes. Then, I turned and walked up the stairs, keeping my shaking hand on the railing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went into this thinking I could make it a slow-burn...IT'S SO HARD


End file.
